WEIRD SCIENCE

Man whose hiccups lasted for 68 years

STRUGGLE to get rid of hiccups? Count yourself lucky you’re not Charles Osborne, from Iowa, above, whose hiccups lasted 68 years.

In 1922, Osborne was weighing a pig for slaughter and fell over. When he stood up, he began hiccupping – and did not stop for nearly seven decades.

Hiccups are involuntary contractions of your diaphragm, usually caused by eating too quickly or drinking too much alcohol.

At its worst, Osborne hiccupped 40 times a minute. Sadly, doctors were never able to find a cure.

In February 1990, Osborne’s hiccups suddenly stopped. A year later he died.