Discover 10 shocking and disturbing facts that you’ll regret knowing, forever haunting your mind.
Mass Radium Poisoning
Radium is a highly toxic chemical compound that was coveted for its unique glow-in-the-dark properties. It was first discovered in around 1920 and was a very popular material in watches, toys, glow sticks and many more household items. Because of this, whole warehouses dedicated to manufacturing these products were built for the sole purpose of handling this radioactive substance. Unfortunately from 1917- 1921 a warehouse full of women contracted deadly radiation poisoning that changed their lives forever. While painting watch dials, they were told to sharpen the edge of their brushes with their mouths as it would save time and resources compared to using water. They ingested quantities of radium that proved detrimental to their health and many suffered terrible ailments such as, decaying teeth, crumbling of the bones and spine failure. 5 women came forward to sue their employees but instead settled out of court. However no amount of money can be traded for a person’s health.
Doctors Operated on Babies Without Anesthetics
In the 1940’s, a collection of grossly incompetent studies were conducted on infants under the age of 15 months. It was concluded that their nervous system was not developed enough to feel pain meaning they had no need for anesthetics during surgery. This of course has been refuted in modern medicine and it is now seen as unethical and wrong. The babies were instead administered muscle relaxers to stop them moving and could see, hear and feel everything while in surgery. Doctors finally reassessed this method in the early 1970’s, however studies show that many hospitals did not change their ways until 1987 when the rule was officially changed.
The Rogue Tiger’s Rampage
Nicknamed the ‘Demon of Champawat’ this ferocious tiger was responsible for 436 citizen deaths over a four year period. Although attacks on humans are rare, it is believed that this tigress became dependent on humans for sustenance. With her natural habitat destroyed thanks to settlements and the high poaching levels, her food choices became limited to humans. She belonged to the now endangered Bengal tiger species, who were responsible for thousands of deaths in the beginning of the 20th century. The tiger was finally taken seriously by the British and was put down in 1907.
The Reign of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan was a terrifying mass conqueror who dominated the battlefields of central Asia and China for 21 long years. His vicious armies were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 40 million people and at the time were the source of fear for many. Because of this mass murder, thousands of acres of farmland were left unattended and soon grew into luscious forests, making way for ecosystems to thrive once again. This meant that around 700 million tonnes of carbon dioxide disappeared from the atmosphere, which is equivalent to global gasoline emission over a year’s period. Some say 1 in 200 men are descendants of him and a study in 2003 determined that around 0.5% of the world population are direct descendants, which Is around 40 million people in today’s numbers. This truly makes you realise how serious of an impact this man’s conquest had on the world.
An Extreme Way to Get Some Fresh Air
In the early 1930’s, British parents would build cages that hung out their windows and would leave their small children in there to play for hours on end. It was a very popular method for parents as many lived in cramped apartment buildings that had no garden and air flow. Doctors also recommended fresh air for adequate growth and so this brilliantly crazy invention was introduced into homes. Nicknamed the ‘Health cage’ experts truly believed this contraption would help infants’ development.
Anyone Need a New Set of Teeth?
In the late 1800s and early 19th century dentures were all the rage for those with money as a lifetime of sugar, teeth whitening and bad eating habits led to equally bad teeth. Back then prosthetics were not a choice and the easiest way to acquire human teeth was from the dead. People would loot and profit from the soldiers’ sacrifice as at the time the battle of waterloo had left tens of thousands dead and although it was a great tragedy, people looted their teeth without remorse.
Post-Mortem Family Portraits
This one is especially creepy as taking pictures of your dead siblings or family members was a very common practice in Victorian England. Because photos and cameras were relatively new around this time, families would only spend money to take their picture once they had passed. They would sit them up, take the picture and then paint on the eyes afterward for a more realistic look. I don’t know about you but this one gave me goosebumps.
Skin Books
In the 18th and 19th centuries, some crazy group of people deemed it necessary to bind books in real human skin. For a very long time this peculiar habit was believed to be practiced by witches and devil worshipers. However these books contained information about anatomy and erotica meaning they were actually meant to be educational. With less than ten of these books remaining, this gross action was named ‘anthropodermic bibliopegy’ and leaves many wondering how and why there was a need to do this.
Can a Human Woman Give Birth to Rabbits?
In the 18th century a woman had managed to convince doctors that she was giving birth to rabbits. She had ‘given birth’ to around 9 fluffy creatures before they started to investigate and after cutting the belly of one rabbit, they found pieces of corn and other food inside. This meant that the bunnies did not develop inside her womb and instead were forced inside by the women to make it look realistic. It just goes to show that even In the 18 hundreds people would go to extreme lengths for recognition, just like in today’s age.
Medical Mishaps
There are more than 250,000 deaths every year in the U.S thanks to medical errors. Some say that the number could be anywhere north of 444,000 which is too high for justification. In fact medical errors are the third-leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. Many advocates fight for legislation that allows for better patient safety but have made little to no progress. Majority of such errors come from computer breakdowns, dose mix-ups and undiagnosed surgical complications. Many believe the system is to blame and push the government and CDC to better train medical staff to take extra care when treating patients.
Lost Faith: Celebrities Abandoning Their Roots for New Religions
It’s a really big deal when converting to a new religion, both personally and culturally. When you decide to follow any religion, it is a deeply personal choice and it is one that these celebrities didn’t take lightly.
Reel Remorse: Actors Who Regretted Saying ‘No’ to Career-Defining Roles
Join us as we delve into the stories of talented actors who still carry the weight of their decisions, forever haunted by the roles they let slip away.
Heartbreak and Loss, Celebrities Who Faced the Tragic Loss of Their Children
It is extremely painful to lose a loved one, but when it comes to losing a child, the pain hits even harder and deeper. Things are never the same again. Knowing that there are celebrities who have gone through this, just goes to show that they’re human, too, and they experience awful things just like us.
From Stardom to Starflops: Catastrophic Movies That Obliterated Actors’ Careers
Join us on a bumpy ride through the dark corners of Hollywood as we explore the ten movies that wreaked havoc on the careers of unsuspecting actors, leaving them desperately searching for their next big break.
Boomerisms That Will Fade Away: HILARIOUS Phrases on Their Extinction List
Get ready to laugh as we delve into the world of boomerisms that are bound to disappear, leaving behind a trail of humorous memories and nostalgic chuckles.