In amorous Bangkok, actor David Carradine, who played Bill in the movie, killed himself by holding his breath while masturbating. This sexual activity is called “scarfing.”
Certificate “S.-I.”
Scarfing (from the English word “scarf”) is the pursuit of sexual pleasure through strangulation (scientifically, asphyxia). This occurs while masturbating or having sexual intercourse with a partner.
The Mystery of the White Package
Igor Belyaev, investigator:
I encountered an unusual case of death by scarfing ten years ago. A wife found her husband's corpse on the bed in a perfectly orderly apartment, locked from the inside. He had taken the day off that day (he worked for a security agency, by the way). The wife came home that evening—the light was on, but no one answered. She opened the door, and behind her was a “surprise”: her husband, naked and dead, with a plastic bag over his head. She assumed he had been murdered. But the investigation revealed that no one had been in the apartment, nor could there have been: the locks were locked, everything was quiet. However, masturbation and ejaculation had occurred. The poor woman was then forced to learn that her husband had done it because of his love of intense sensations. Apparently, he couldn't admit to her exactly how he enjoyed sexual pleasure, for which he paid with his life. After all, solitary scarfingers risk their lives ten times more!
Vladimir Mezhevoy, forensic physician:
Asphyxia is a deceptive condition. When the airway is blocked, carbon dioxide accumulates, causing blood to rush to the head and genitals. Neurotransmitters (active substances released by nerve endings) are released. Euphoria and intense sexual arousal occur. If a person remains in this state for 2-3 minutes, they will be unable to recover on their own. If you hesitate for even a few seconds, you will inevitably lose consciousness and die within the next two minutes. You will be unable to remove the bag from your head or open the noose.
Scarfing is also dangerous when there's a partner nearby, but there's still a chance someone will be able to help… The most reckless die in the first or second “session.” The rest remain hostages.
Deadly Paradise
Nikolai Zhuravlev, emergency cardiac resuscitator:
We had a patient who called an ambulance, left the door open, and when he heard the paramedics were already at his apartment, he hanged himself. That's how he got his kicks. They already knew him at the substation, but they couldn't just leave him alone—he'd hang himself if he heard a noise at the door—and what if it was other residents? But on the fifth visit, a new doctor arrived who hadn't been warned about the idiotic nature of this call. She hesitated, and he was already unconscious and never regained consciousness. We had to call the police. Scarfing is deadly. Besides, those who start it can quickly develop coronary heart disease. And it's also very dangerous when scarfing is combined with alcohol. Choking can trigger the gag reflex, and the person can die, choking on their own stomach contents…
The main thing is dissatisfaction with life
Irina Mashnaya, sexologist-psychotherapist:
A significant reason for taking up skinning is dissatisfaction in life. Love has left the family. Life has become monotonous: home, transportation, work. You have to earn as much money as possible because your wife demands it. Incidentally, men are more likely to take up skinning because they find themselves socially vulnerable. After all, wives cultivate the image of the breadwinner, and then loser husbands break down into extreme pleasures. And one more thing: skinners are usually faithful husbands; they are satisfied with this kind of self-gratification.
Overdose
In 1997, police removed the body of popular Australian singer and INXS frontman Michael Hutchence from a noose in a Sydney hotel. Officially, it was ruled a suicide. But only recently did journalists gain access to the investigative documents, which revealed clear evidence of the singer's dalliances. The body was lying on a bed, suspended from a noose attached to a metal headboard. His trousers were pulled down, and doctors confirmed the death by ejaculation. Forensic experts suggested a theory of scarfing , which was confirmed by members of an Australian asphyxiants forum—Hutchence frequently performed there. It's no wonder the case was quickly hushed up.
Almost Desdemona!
Here's a story told in theatrical circles: One of Vertinsky's acquaintances, the director of a Moscow theater, once confided to the still very young Alexander how tiring it was to make love to his then-young “passion.”
– How? Why? – Vertinsky was astonished.
“When she reaches a certain point, well, you know: she demands to be strangled!” his interlocutor explained. “Of course, not really, but still, strongly. I fulfill her request, but, my friend, I'm getting on in years… It's hard, you know. And it's scary. Every time I strangle her, I see the Vladimir Highway before my eyes…”
Special clothing on the gallows
In medieval Spain, men sentenced to hanging had their pants taken away three hours before their execution. During this time, they were taken in at the groin. This practice was introduced after a queen, present at an execution, was forced to blush as she answered her niece's questions about the condemned man's erection. Later, the practice of taking in pants was discontinued, and hanged men began wearing “special clothing” made of rough leather, which was later replaced by a long, thick sack.