Werewolf - Werewolf disease.

(i) Steelzer/CrZ/Triumph



                   Werewolf disease.

 
    Popular English writer of the 18th century Walter Scott
touches on the horrors of lycanthropy in one of his little-known
works "The Demonology of Witchcraft", which was published in 1830
year.



    He writes very convincingly about werewolves. The main one
the idea is that a person is able, with the help of
witchcraft to take the form of a wolf. Transformed into this beast
he rushes, possessed by rage, ravaging the herds, killing and wounding everyone
counter.

    However, skeptic scientists do not admit the possibility of such
physical transformations and claim that lycanthropy exists
only as a pathetic disease, expressed in
melancholic state, interrupted by outbreaks of madness, when
the person susceptible to this disease imagines what he has done
disgraceful actions.

    Already in our time, one English scientist gave a very
a convincing explanation for the "werewolf disease" that afflicted
Europe, and now we move on to his theory.



    Dr Lee Illis from Hampshire presented work on this
issue to the Royal Society of Medicine in 1963. This
work "On porphyria and the etiology of werewolves" - based ondocuments and, apparently, an irrefutable argument in favor of the fact that
outbreaks of lycanthropy observed in Europe and other parts of the world
at different times, has reliable medical justification.



    Dr. Illis, who prefers the term "werefolf",
wrote: "I believe that the so-called werewolves of the past, according to
at least in most cases, suffered from congenital
porphyria.  The proof of this lies in the correspondence of the symptoms
this rare disease to many descriptions of werewolves from those that have come down to
us evidence."

    After analyzing examples from classical history and legends, with
which we have already dealt with, he adds: "Transformation into a wolf
is not the prerogative of men.  Armenian and Abyssinxian
legends clearly speak of female werewolves, and Judge God, carrying
responsible for the burning of six hundred witches and werewolves in the XVI
century, tells the story of a farmer's wife who
turned into a wolf and attacked a neighbor."

    Illis also draws attention to a very interesting fact: in
times when werewolves were considered enemies on the continent, in
England treated them as victims of insanity caused by
"deep melancholy"



    He continues: “This did not happen as a result of any
deliberate reasons and not as a result of condescension (since witches
chased and brutallypersecuted at that time), but in view of that
circumstances that wolves (in England) became extinct.



    For each specific area, the most common in
there the beast that is feared there is the animal in which
According to local beliefs, a person transforms. If the animal dies out,
The myth is gradually disappearing."

    Further, developing his thesis, the doctor notes: “Borussky
the werewolf was presented to the Duke of Prussia, and Johann Frederick
Wolfeshusius of the University of Leipzig (1591) describes it this way:
him: “It was an evil man, not to say that, quite similar to
beast, who had many scars on his face... although he had been behind him for a long time
watched vigilantly, this werewolf never changed his
human form, no matter how little he has left."



    Dr. Illis adds: "Among the Toraja tribes on Celebes
Werewolves are considered to be those with darting eyes with dark green eyes.
shadows underneath them.  Their sleep is shallow. They have a long tongue
red lips and teeth. Their hair stands on end."



    The already mentioned Boge describes werewolves as creatures
having pale skin with numerous abrasions from frequent
being with wolves or perhaps as a result of attacks on
people.  “One,” he writes, was so disfigured that he could hardly
a human being was guessed, andpeople couldn't get on it
watch without shuddering."

    Physical descriptions of these people are very important for the theory
Illis, and it should be noted that they correspond exactly
physical symptoms of the extreme form of porphyria, pernicious
medicine



    Dr. Illis adds that the doctors were more humane in their
attitude towards werewolves than servants of the law and the church.



    He continues: “Oribus, physician to Emperor Julian,
claims that this disease (lycanthropy) was accompanied by nocturnal
wanderings;  the one exposed to it turned pale, his eyes dimmed and
They sank, and their legs became covered with sores from frequent stumbling.
Orib recommends treatment with bloodletting and defecation with
followed by plenty of food and sleep..."

    "I believe that such a wide distribution of werewolf in
time and space has some real basis.
Either werewolves existed, or there must be some kind
phenomenon, and on the basis of this phenomenon, possibly under the influence
fear, superstition and chance, a legend arose and grew, argues
Illis, Finding the roots of the werewolf myth is quite difficult.
occupation.  You constantly come across conflicting evidence.
Regarding the origin of this myth, we can assume two
option. One is the result of fear and evocation of evil spirits or
even witchcraftif you take into account the many strange
incidents that cannot be explained by modern
philosophies.  This interpretation is attractive, but in itself
doesn't give us anything.   She can't explain the wide
spread of this belief and does not contribute to clarifying
etymology of this fear.  My guess is that the myth
originated in a few isolated areas in different parts
world as a result of some inherently rare, but
numerous incidents and has become a general belief."



    Dr. Illis speaks of the humane treatment of the insane in
pre-Christian times and the opposite treatment in the subsequent
period of Christianity.  In the Middle Ages, when belief in lycanthropy
was widespread, especially wild was practiced
cruelty.



    "It must have been growing because of the atmosphere of fear and
the ease with which one could remove one's enemy by making
denunciation of him as a sorcerer or a werewolf. This was facilitated
the incredible readiness of the accused to confess is a feature
inherent in all stories from the "witch hunt" series

    But let's get back to Dr. Illis's diagnosis. Congenital porphyria -
a rare disease, but if a person fell ill with it, his actions and
the changed appearance was quite consistent with the signslycanthropy.

    What are the symptoms and external manifestations of this rather
strange illness? Dr. Illis explains that porphyria is caused by
genetic disorders leading to vesicular erythema.
Or, in other words, the patient's skin becomes very
sensitive to light, especially sunlight, and its
exposure becomes covered with inflamed spots.



    Illis continues: "These inflammations turn into ulcers,
which can transfer to cartilage and bones. Gradually, over time,
a person’s nose, ears, fingers are destroyed.”



    Another manifestation of porphyria is skin pigmentation, teeth may
become red or reddish-brown due to deposits
porphyrin.  As you may notice, some of these symptoms
are classic signs by which for many centuries
determined to be a lycanthrope.

    Patients find night walks more tolerable than
daytime;  inflammations on the skin of the face and hands resemble abrasions and
damage typical of a werewolf bitten by wild ones
animals; possible mental disorders, from mild hysteria to
manic-depressive psychosis (Eee!) and frenzied delirium -
in the Middle Ages this was quite enough to sentence
poor fellow to death as a werewolf.

    Illis also claims that in the spread of this disease
notthe last role is played by the geographical factor - cases
Porphyria diseases are most common in Sweden and Switzerland, and
also in some specific areas.  This proves
heredity of the disease.



    So, the condition of those suffering from porphyria, as it is outlined with
medical point of view by Dr. Illis in his original
work, exactly matches the description of the werewolf-victim about whom
we talked before. Rough cracked skin, yellowish face
and distorted features, long hair and a neglected beard,
which the patient, due to inflammation of the skin, does not cut or
shaves, and finally, wandering at night - these are classic signs
legendary werewolf, attested by medieval
judges.



    One may ask what cause causes this extreme form
porphyria and whether its manifestation is limited only comparatively
a small number of places?  From the very beginning it must be emphasized that
the type of porphyria considered by Dr. Illis,
is extremely rare and should not be confused with widely
a common type that has nothing to do with the subject
lycanthropy.

    Dr. Illis explains: "There are several types
porphyrias and almost all of them have a genetic basis and arise
due to metabolic disorders.  One of the typesporphyria
is quite common and exists in all
countries, including England... This is not the type that has at least
something to do with the myth of the werewolf.



    I think this should be especially noted, since people who are sick
unnecessary worries may arise. The type of porphyria that
possibly responsible for the myth of the werewolf, found
very rare, and is called congenital porphyria."



    The medical literature describes only about 80
cases of disease.  Both sexes are susceptible to the disease, and some
There is no specific treatment.  Death may occur in
at any age, but if the patient survives to maturity, open
parts of his body are covered with many scars and scars.



    And the last statement of Dr. Illis: “About porphyria
there are reports from many, if not all, countries of the world.
Interestingly enough, the only country in which I
I know for sure that there is no myth about the werewolf, this is Ceylon, where no one
never heard of him, and where not a single doctor from those with
with whom I spoke, never encountered cases
porphyria..."