Since people have recently gone vampire mad, I thought I'd share some vampire medical trivia.
Some historians claim that the vampire/werewolf folklore emerged from the symptoms of a certain disease. Can anyone guess what condition is linked with tales about vampires?
Rabies - Photophobia
ReplyDeletePorphyria - need for blood
I don't understand. why is it prophyria? I know it occurs as a result of a deficiency defect in the heme metabolic pathway, but can't imagine how it can prompt people to become addictive to blood!!!
ReplyDeleteI suggest delusional psychosis, which might occur due to an organic brain disease.
Sorry for replying to this late. Feb=Busy Times! I think the first person is right. The following have been linked to vampirism: TB, bubonic plague, porphyria, rabies.
ReplyDeleteTB/Bubonic plague = because breakdown of lung tissue caused blood at the lips
Porphyria = due to photosensitivity + iv haem used to treat the disease caused confusion that sufferers crave the haem in blood
Rabies = hypersensitivity cause susceptibility to sunlight and garlic; brain can be affected to cause sleep cycle disturbance (nocturnal) and hypersexuality. Legend once said a man was not rabid if he could look at his own reflection (an allusion to the legend that vampires have no reflection). Wolves and bats, which are often associated with vampires, can be carriers of rabies. The disease can also lead to a drive to bite others and to a bloody frothing at the mouth
Source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire