Published in

Lessons from History

Dale M. Brumfield

Jan 4, 2021

6 min read

Laughing to Death

The Absolutely Horrifying Story Behind Kuru Laughing Sickness

Kuru victims, early 1960s.

AMERICAN PHYSICIAN AND VIROLOGIST Daniel Carleton Gajdusek listened intently as Vincent Zigas, a district medical officer in the Fore Tribe region of Papua, New Guinea, described a devastatingly fatal illness he had been observing.

--

More from Lessons from History

Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing.

Read more from Lessons from History

Recommended from Medium

Kaz Nejatian

Checks in America

Dale M. Brumfield

in

Lessons from History

Halloween was once the Last Chance to Find a Spouse

Gary Jenneke

This Day in History

Ahad Firdosi

Habakkuk, an Ice Aircraft Carrier

Rejoice Denhere

in

Vital World Online

What Our Descendants Will Say About Handshakes

Grant Piper

The Sad and Remarkable Soviet Anti-Tank Dogs

Grant Piper

in

History of Yesterday

The Oldest European Building In America Predates Columbus By 359 Years

The Storyteller

in

Lessons from History

How Can A Person Die 37 Times?

About Help Terms Privacy

Get the Medium app

Dale M. Brumfield

Dale M. Brumfield

Anti-death penalty advocate, cultural archaeologist, “American Grotesk” historyteller and author of 11 books. More at www.dalebrumfield.net.

More from Medium

Matthias Gregorius

The Basketball Head Diaries

Karine Schomer

in

Political Engagement

A Most Amazing Retirement Party

Phil Garber

Six Minutes Of Fame In The Trump Circus

Mentoni

in

ILLUMINATION

What Was In The Food? Lessons To Learn From A 19-Year-Old Who Lost His Limbs To A Chinese Meal

Help
Status
Writers
Blog
Careers
Privacy
Terms
About
Knowable