The ethnobiology of the Haitian zombi.
“For many years students of Haitian society have suggested that there is an ethnopharmacological basis for the notorious zombies, the living dead of peasant folklore. The recent surfacing of three zombies, one of whom may represent the first potentially verifiable case, has focused scientific attention on the reported zombi drug. The formula of the poison was obtained at four widely separated localities in Haiti. The consistent ingredients include one or more species of puffer fish (Diodon hystrix, Diodon holacanthus or Sphoeroides testudineus) which contain tetrodotoxins, potent neurotoxins fully capable of pharmacologically inducing the zombi state. The ingredients, preparation and method of application are presented. “
And by popular demand: if you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check out
P. Munz, I. Hudea, J. Imad and R.J. Smith? When zombies attack!: Mathematical modelling of an outbreak of zombie infection (Infectious Disease Modelling Research Progress 2009, in: J.M. Tchuenche and C. Chiyaka, eds, pp133-150).
It’s not on PubMed but definitely deserves a shout out. The BBC News article describing it is here.
Thanks to Mary, Corey, and Nathan for today’s ROFL!
August 24th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
"Ethnobiology of the Haitian zombi" is a classic paper – the author, Wade Davis, went on to write The Serpent and the Rainbow.