For more than two centuries, the Fugate family has lived near Troublesome Creek in eastern Kentucky. Many of them, in the past, were blue. Yes, blue. As a result of inbreeding, the combination of a recessive trait caused them to be born with methemoglobinemia, a rare genetic disorder that turns the skin blue. Read more about this unique family known as "the blue Fugates" at Now I Know.
Link | Image: unknown
Comments (7)
A much longer article here. http://www.nclark.net/BluePeopleofTroublesomeCreek.html
This is kind of like when Alex wrote about kudzu and so many people were fascinated, but it never occurred to me to write about it because I thought everyone knew kudzu!
The other compound is Mercury(II) thiocyanate (Hg(SCN)2) AKA "Pharoah's Serpent" It used to be used in fireworks because of its black-snake effect. However, it isn't readily available anymore because it is toxic.