26 Facts About Death And Dying

1.

In the 17th century skulls were soaked in alcohol to create a tincture that was used for fever.

2.

In New York families can reject the idea of brain dead if it goes against religious beliefs.

3.

The first visible sign that a person is dead is when the eyes cloud over with fluid.

4.

Embalming is not required by law.

5.

Over 300 bodies are frozen in liquid nitrogen in America.

6.

Hair and nails do not grow after death.

7.

The smell of death is caused by amino acids breaking down.

8.

Mortician is a term invented by the funeral industry to replace undertaker.

9.

The acceptance of embalming is credited to Abraham Lincoln's body being moved from Washington D.C. to Springfield, Illinois, without decaying.

10.

Victorians would take photos of dead relatives as a part of the grieving process.

11.

European peat bogs have the perfect conditions for preserving corpses.

12.

Grave wax is caused by fat decomposition, and causes the body to have a waxy look to it.

13.

Climb the six foot ladder is an old slang term for death.

14.

You're more likely to die from dancing than skydiving.

15.

Ground up mummies were often used as paint pigments in the 16th century.

16.

Mount Everest has over 200 corpses on it.

17.

The burial depth of 6 feet comes from the depth black plague victims were buried to stop spreading the disease.

18.

People used to drink the blood of the recently executed thinking it was a health tonic.

19.

Pope Stephan VI had the corpse of the former Pope dug up and questioned about his crimes.

20.

Cremation produces around 9 pounds of remains.

21.

Bacteria that forms at death are called necrobiome.

22.

Rigor mortis only lasts 1 to 2 days.

23.

The town of Longyearbyen has little to no facilities to handle the dead.

24.

Human composting could become legal in Washington state.

25.

19th century coffins had safety bells in case you were buried alive.

26.

In the Victorian era women would mourn their husbands for 2-3 years.