Freaky facts about death

[Dick]

for Stephanie..........bet you have the knickers off by the time you finish reading this!
Also for Forrest, cos he likes this shit

The biggest killer of humans

Hippos, crocs and cobras are dangerous on land, jellyfish and sharks are killers in the sea, and people kill off other people every year by the thousands. But they all pale in comparison to the measly mosquito. Estimates of death caused by mosquito-borne illnesses -- malaria, most notably -- range from 1 million to more than 5 million every year. The blood-sucking species that carries malaria infects more than 70 million people annually.

Scared to death

It is possible to be scared to death. Profound fear, startling or dread can cause a sudden weakening of the heart, leading to heart failure or an arrhythmia, either of which can kill you. The phenomenon is understood to be a result of extraordinary emotional distress, as documented in the wake of natural disasters or with the news that a loved one has died. Physicians have noted that people who are scared to death may have had an underlying heart condition that wasn't recognized. A "boo" at Halloween or a viewing of "The Ring" could very well result in a spontaneous release of the bowels, but instances of sudden death tend to follow more dramatic life events.

Mortician's beauty kit

It's always a little strange to hear someone whisper "He looks good!" at an open-casket ceremony, but it's also the mark of an undertaker's job well done. The mortician's cosmetic kit or "grip" is a regular Mary Kay gift set for the deceased. Some of the fun things you'll see in there are wound filler, lip wax and assorted colors of cosmetic, such as old age, adult, peach, suntan, lip color and deep flesh. The mouth is closed with two wires that are stapled into the upper and lower gums and then twisted together, like the tie used to keep your bread fresh. Lips and eyelids are kept shut with a few dabs of Aron Alpha -- or, as it's known among the living, Krazy Glue.

Post-mortem grooming: nails and hair

A dead body begins dehydrating early in the decomposition process. Lack of moisture can draw the skin taught, which is why eyelids and lips will open if an undertaker doesn't take measures to keep them closed. Dehydrated skin also pulls away from the fingernail bed and from the scalp, giving the illusion that the nails and hair on a dated corpse have grown. Because we are accustomed to hair and nails growing -- not hands, feet and scalp shrinking -- we perceive this change as an increase, when actually it's caused by a decline or retreat of the surrounding skin.