50. Sangre

More than a burning fever or the loss of gastric contents up or down, more even I think than a seizure or loss of consciousness, the extravasation of blood remains the scariest and dramatic life-threatening sequellae of trauma or illness. Yet also very common (especially for those of us with inherited deviated septi for whom nose bleeds occur almost with provocation).

So no surprise when blood loss triggers either an over-reaction--perhaps because denial can be fatal-- or a careful descriptions of blood loss. Still, though, I had never before heard a clot described as a "slug."