STRANGE DEATHS
UNUSUAL WAYS OF SHUFFLING OFF THIS MORTAL COIL
A Massachusetts construction worker died after eating one-and-a-half bags of black liquorice every day for several weeks. The 54-year-old had switched from red, fruit-flavoured twists to the black liquorice version a few weeks before his death last year. He collapsed while eating lunch at a fast-food restaurant. Emergency responders performed CPR and he revived, but died the next day. Doctors later discovered that the man had dangerously low potassium, which had led to heart arrhythmia and other problems. “Even a small amount of liquorice you eat can increase your blood pressure a little bit,” said Dr Neel Butala, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Glycyrrhizic acid, found in black liquorice (and in many other foods and dietary supplements containing liquorice root extract) is the significant component. It can cause dangerously low potassium levels, as well as electrolyte imbalances.
Eating as little as two ounces (57g) of black liquorice each day for two weeks could cause a heart rhythm problem, especially for the over 40s. “It’s more than liquorice sticks. It could be jelly beans, liquorice teas, a lot of things over the counter. Even some beers, like Belgian beers, have this compound in it, as do some chewing tobaccos,” warned Dr Robert Eckel, a University of Colorado cardiologist and former American Heart Association president. Independent, 24 Sept 2020.
An alcoholic killer monkey left one man dead and 250 injured after going on a rampage in Uttar Pradesh, India. The sixyear-old monkey, known as Kalua, had been the pet of a Mirzapur occultist who used to give him strong drink at home. But when the occultist died, the primate, deprived of his supply of spirits, began prowling the streets in a rage. He allegedly targeted women and girls in particular, with dozens of children left needing plastic surgery after the animal ripped open their faces. One man died from his injuries.
The miscreant has since been caught and will now be kept in captivity in Kanpur Zoo, Uttar Pradesh. Here, zookeepers discovered that the rogue simian was not only an alcoholic, but refused to eat vegetables. It is now thought that its occultist owner fed the monkey a strictly meat-based diet. It was also noted that Kalua tended to attack female zookeepers and would target other monkeys if put in the same cage. Hence, he will be kept in solitary confinement for the remainder of his days. D.Mail, 18 June 2020.
A German politician died after being struck by lightning as he was relieving himself at a garden party. A storm was underway during the barbecue when local councillor Nico K, 44, discreetly slipped away for a wee. He was reportedly standing under a highvoltage power line when lightning struck. Onlookers at the garden party, held in the village of Hoehnstedt in the northeastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, tried in vain to resuscitate him, but he died at the scene. D.Mail, 15 June 2020.
A University College London researcher was burnt alive by an angry mob in Guatemala. Domingo Choc Che, an expert in natural medicine, was part of a pharmaceutical investigation team examining traditional plant-based medicines with the help of Mayan guides. Choc Che was himself both an expert in traditional medicine and a Mayan spiritual guide. He lived in the village of Chimay in northern Guatemala where the incident took place. He had apparently given some medicine to a sick villager who subsequently died, and an angry mob set upon him, blaming him for the death and accusing him of practising witchcraft. A video of the lynching shows him running through a field covered in flames as onlookers watch and chase after him. The regional governor told local media that villagers had blocked police officers from attending the scene to help Che, and impeded the subsequent investigation.
Monica Berger, head of the anthropology department at Guatemala’s University of Valle said ‘Abuelo Domingo’ (Grandfather Domingo) had been collaborating on a project to recover natural ancestral Mayan medicine. “We were working on an inventory of medicinal species to document and protect Q’eqchi medicinal knowledge so that all the indigenous knowledge can be known.” The British ambassador wrote on social media: “I recognise the legacy of Domingo Choc as a spiritual guide and send my condolences to his family. We trust that the state will carry out a swift investigation.”
There have been at least 348 lynchings in Guatemala between 2008 and 2018. D.Star, 10 June 2020.