Today’s Bitten Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
American herpetologist Joseph Slowinski was on a research trip to Myanmar when, on September 11, 2001, he was bitten by a ten-inch-long baby krait snake. The krait’s venom is stronger than the better-known king cobra’s, and it acts by blocking nerve impulses, leading to paralysis and asphyxiation.
Slowinski and his associates were in a very remote area of the jungle, and so some members of the group went for help while Slowinski stayed behind with others. He was well aware of the krait venom’s effects, and so he directed his companions to give him artificial respiration until help arrived. Initially he was able to speak with them, then as paralysis set in he wrote notes, and finally communicated by twitching a toe.
The weather that night was severe, preventing a rescue helicopter from landing or dropping medical supplies. Slowinski’s companions took it in shifts to give him artificial respiration, and they continued doing so for 26 hours. Tragically, Slowinski’s heart gave out before he could be evacuated.
Culled From: Wikipedia
Submitted by: Aimee
September 11, 2001 was a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day. – Aimee
Here’s a photo of Slowinski and his associates, who are checking his breathing:
And here’s a photo of the dastardly krait snake. I’m not sure if it’s the one that bit him or not, but I think it is.
Brains Du Jour!
Another excerpt from the most recent addition to the Library Eclectica: Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital.
3759-04-83
Study No. 9:
Down’s Syndrome,
02/10/83
Adam Voorhes: “Upon discovering the collection, the first vessel that moved me was this one, containing three Down syndrome brains. I was confused. I still struggle to understand why a person with this disorder would spend his or her days in a mental institution, particularly in such recent years. I wondered about their families and about society’s perceptions. I wanted to know their stories. I hoped the numbers on this label would bring clarity.”
Unfortunately, however, the numbers were not recognized as valid record numbers when they went to locate the records, so the identity and full stories of most of these brains will never be known. Doesn’t that just suck? It irks me that there are things in this world that I can never possibly know.
Morbid Trinket Du Jour!
Here’s a nice item on Etsy for you June Cleaver types!
