The Science of Monsters

Was The Wolf Man the first werewolf movie? It was not. In fact, it wasn’t even the first werewolf movie released by Universal Studios. In 1935 Werewolf of London premiered but did not go on to be as popular as the later film. The concept of werewolves has been mentioned in legends and stories dating back to the first century AD by author Petronius and by Gervase of Tilbury in the 1100s. Werewolves were said in European folklore to bear certain physical traits in their human form including having a unibrow, curved fingernails, low-set ears, and a swinging stride. A Russian superstition suggests that a werewolf can be recognized by having bristles under their tongue.

What is the medical explanation for those who appear, physically, to be werewolves? Hypertrichosis is a condition that is characterized by an abnormal amount of hair growth over the body. Those who performed in circuses and “freak” shows likely had this condition. In the womb, humans are covered with a thin layer of hair called lanugo. Usually this hair is shed before birth but in some circumstances, for those with congenital hypertrichosis lanuginosa, the hair remains. There are other types of hypertrichosis, including acquired, which is due to side effects of medication. All types can be treated with hair removal products and services or by changing medications. The first recorded case of hypertrichosis is Pedro González in the 1500s. Despite living and acting as a nobleman, González and his children, who were also afflicted with the condition, were not considered fully human in the eyes of society. It is believed that his marriage may have partially inspired the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast (1740).

The only known case of someone being born with hypertrichosis in the United States was Alice Elizabeth Doherty. She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1887 with a layer of two-inch long, blonde hair all over her body. She appeared in side shows, as did others with this condition, including Fedor Adrianovich Jeftichew, also known as Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy, and Julia Pastrana, also known as The Bearded Lady.

Another condition linked to werewolves is clinical lycanthropy. This is defined as a rare psychiatric syndrome in which the affected person is under the illusion that they can transform into, has transformed into, or is a non-human animal. A study was conducted in the McLean Hospital that stated:

Alice Elizabeth Doherty was born with hypertrichosis in 1887.

. . . we identified twelve cases of lycanthropy, ranging in duration from one day to thirteen years. The syndrome was generally associated with severe psychosis, but not with any specific psychiatric diagnosis or neurological findings, or with any particular outcome. As a rare but colourful presentation of psychosis, lycanthropy appears to have survived into modern times.²

Throughout history several serial killers claimed to have been wolves during their crimes including Gilles Garnier, Manuel Blanco Romasanta, Peter Stube, and Jean Grenier.

Werewolves are said to transform during a full moon. Does the moon actually have an effect on people or animals? This belief has been around for centuries. The word “lunatic” comes from the Roman moon goddess “Luna.” In ancient Greece and Rome, philosophers thought that the water in our brains must be subject to the same tidal motions as the sea. This would explain strange behavior whenever the moon was particularly full or large in the sky. What do experts say? There is a lot of anecdotal evidence claiming an increase in emergency room visits, crime, and accidents when there is a full moon. The science to support this theory, though, is lacking. A 2005 study by Mayo Clinic researchers, reported in the journal Psychiatric Services, looked at how many patients checked into a psychiatric emergency department during the evening hours over several years. They found no statistical difference in the number of visits on the three nights surrounding full moons versus other nights. Regarding how a full moon may affect animals, a study in 2006 stated that:

. . . the lunar cycle may affect hormonal changes early in phylogenesis (insects). In fish, the lunar clock influences reproduction and involves the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. In birds, the daily variations in melatonin and corticosterone disappear during full-moon days. The lunar cycle also exerts effects on laboratory rats with regard to taste sensitivity and the ultrastructure of pineal gland cells.³