
audiobook
by Johann Gottlob Hertel, Johann Christoph Pohl
A scholarly treatise from the early eighteenth century, this work gathers the insights of leading philosophers and physicians of the time to scrutinize the mysterious phenomenon popularly called “vampires.” Presented as a formal dissertation, it frames the inquiry as a search for truth amidst a sea of superstition, drawing on the authority of eminent academics who once lectured at prestigious European universities. The opening sections lay out the difficulty of discerning fact from folklore, setting a tone of rigorous, interdisciplinary investigation.
The author then guides the reader through a systematic analysis of alleged post‑mortem blood flow, the physical signs historically linked to the undead, and the medical explanations that might account for them. By juxtaposing natural causes with prevailing myths, the text invites listeners to consider how early modern science wrestled with fear, rumor, and the limits of empirical knowledge. The result is a fascinating glimpse into the intellectual climate that shaped early vampire lore.
Language
la
Duration
~38 minutes (37K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Carolus Raeticus
Release date
2015-08-13
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects
An 18th-century German composer and keyboard player, he spent much of his career in the courts of Mecklenburg and wrote music that bridges the late Baroque and early Classical styles.
View all books1705–1780
An 18th-century German physician and scholar, he wrote in Latin on aging, wounds, obesity, and other medical subjects at the University of Leipzig. His surviving works offer a glimpse of how medicine was studied and argued in the early Enlightenment.
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