Adapted summary of a humorous column in the Independent (March 11th '97) by Dr Phil Hammond.
Misdiagnosing death is an easy mistake for a doctor to make. Patients who are very cold or drugged can seem dead. A fat person's heartbeat can be hard to hear through a stethoscope. Ways of diagnosing death include:
Pouring freezing water in the ear, which should elicit an eye movement if the person if alive; poking something in the eye ('testing the corneal reflect'); poking something down the throat ('testing the gag reflex'); grinding the knuckles into the sternum ('testing the pain reflex'); and squeezing the testicles ('testing the pain reflex').
"Small wonder," Dr Hammond concludes, "that most people want to die at home."
This webpage forms part of the Global Ideas Bank (www.globalideasbank.org).
Book Orders: To order any of the other Natural Death Centre or Global Ideas Bank books.
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