Zombies are ruthless, do not know pain, and can continue to attack even if they break their hands and feet.
Zombies are common in Haitian stories and folklore. Haitian cultural researchers tell countless legends of Bokor (aka voodoo shamans) who brought the dead back to life. These zombies are slaves without thought. They are not self-aware, and unless they eat salt, it is not particularly dangerous, because salt restores consciousness. These stories are widely circulated and, like urban legends, frighten the listener and, though unlikely, seem credible.
Even after recording countless stories and anecdotes, researchers still haven't found substantial evidence to explain or confirm the phenomenon. Usually, the so-called zombies receive little or no treatment until they actually die. Researchers also struggle to rule out the possibility of misidentification and deception
In 1980, a man appeared in the Haitian countryside. He said his name was Clairvius Narcisse and died on 2 May 1962 at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Deschapelles, Haiti. Narcisse described himself as conscious when he was presumed dead, but could not move, and he even saw the doctor cover his face with a sheet. Narcisse claims that a Pokor saved him, turning him into a zombie.
The hospital has documented Narcisse's illness and death, so scientists believe he could become evidence of a Haitian zombie. Narcisse can answer his family and childhood questions that even his close friends don't know. In the end, his family and many outside observers believed he was a resurrected zombie.
Narcisse became the driving force behind the Zombies Program, a study of the origin of zombies conducted in Haiti between 1982 and 1984. During this time, ethnobotanist and anthropologist Dr. Vader Davis traveled around Haiti in hopes of finding out why Haitian zombies appeared.
In 1835, a law that appeared to be designed to penalize the creation of zombies came into force in Haiti. Article 246 of the Haitian Penal Code stipulates that attempted murder is considered to have been attempted if a substance is used to put a person in a comatose state for a long time without causing death. If the substance causes the victim to die or is buried, the act is classified as murder.
According to Haitian folklore, feeding zombies salt allows them to regain consciousness. After that, the zombies will usually attack the Bokor that made him, or return to the burial ground and die. Ironically, tetrodotoxin seals sodium channels in muscles and nerve cells. However, there is currently no known cure for tetrodotoxin poisoning, and the sodium content in a few salts is unlikely to have any physiological effect on the poisoned person.
Davis at the end of the day, Nathan M. Dr. Nathan S. Kline was invited to Haiti. Klein speculates that Narcisse's zombie experience was caused by a drug. Since such a drug could be used in medicine, especially in the field of anesthesiology, Klein wanted to collect samples, analyze them and determine how they work.
Davis learned that Haitians who believed there were zombies believed that zombies were made through Bokor's witchcraft (not poison or drugs). According to local legend, Bokor created zombies by grabbing the victim's Ti bon ange (the part of the soul that was directly connected to the person). But in the course of the study, Davis discovered that Bokor used compound potions in rituals that were made using dried grinding of animals and plants.
Davis collected eight samples of the zombie potion in four regions of Haiti. Their composition is not consistent, but seven of them contain the following four ingredients:
One or more pufferfish, which usually contain a deadly neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin;
A type of sea toad (giant toad) that produces many toxic substances;
A rain frog (domi bone rain frog) that secretes a harsh (but not fatal) substance;
Human remains.
In addition, these potions contain other flora and fauna ingredients, such as lizards and spiders. These substances have the potential to irritate the skin. Some medicines even include frosted glass.
The use of pufferfish piqued Davis' interest. Tetrodotoxin can cause paralysis and death, and poisoned people are generally aware until the eve of death. The paralysis prevented them from responding to stimuli, much like Clairvius Narcisse's description of his own death. Doctors have also documented cases in which people who ingest tetrodotoxin appear to have died, but in the end they have fully recovered.
Davis's corollary was that the agent, when applied topically, would irritate the victim's skin and cause a crack in the skin. Tetrodotoxin can then enter the bloodstream, paralyzing the victim and making it appear dead. After his family buried him, Bokor dug it out of the grave. If all goes well and the potency of the poison wears off, the victim will believe he is a zombie.
While Davis' theory is valuable, there are some loopholes. Next, we'll look at the debate surrounding Davis' research.
Puffer fish is a delicacy in Japan called Fugu. Usually eaten raw after being prepared by a qualified chef, the amount of tetrodotoxin contained in it will only cause a tingling sensation and dizziness. If a chef makes a mistake in handling Fugu, it can kill people.
But if someone eats a poisonous Fugu and recovers, they are poisoned victims, not zombies. Davis's theory is that after recovering from the effects of the drug, it was culture and beliefs that led some Haitians to think they were zombies. Some Bokor also have descriptions: the paste used to feed zombies contains a mandala known locally as "zombie cucumber," which is called Jimson Weed in the United States. Mandalas can cause fever, hallucinations, and forgetfulness, making it easier for victims to believe that they have really changed.
At first glance, Davis' research seems valuable. Tetrodotoxin does cause paralysis and death, and researchers have documented recovering from near-fatal tetrodotoxin poisoning. Davis brought some samples back to the United States to experiment on shaved skin in mice and rhesus macaques, and the results were excellent. These animals will fall asleep and then cannot move, but eventually all recover completely.
But other researchers have questioned not only the plausibility of Davis' study, but also the actual composition of the samples he brought back from Haiti. Scientists questionEd Davis's morality as he desecrated the grave when he collected the ingredients of the drug, questioned whether the original drug experiment was scientific or under control, and whether other substances were added to the agent being tested, claiming that the sample contained little tetrodotoxin, or even tetrodotoxin.
Many see Davis's work as the only possible explanation for the phenomenon of zombies in Haiti, while others scoff at it as unscientific or even deceptive.