2023-10-07 23:00:00
Dracula’s letter. Analytical chemistry provided
There is a story that the character ‘Count Dracula’, who often appears in ghost stories, was inspired by a real person. The main character is Vlad the Impaler (‘Vlad Cepes’ in Romanian), a nobleman who ruled the Principality of Wallachia, a southern region of Romania, in the 15th century.
Vlad the Impaler was a Wallachian hero who defeated the Ottoman Empire, but was notorious for brutally torturing his enemies.
In movies and novels, Dracula is often portrayed as someone who hates the sun and garlic and lusts for human blood, but a study was published in August that suggests Vlad the Impaler may have been a vegetarian who shed tears of blood.
A joint research team from the University of Catania in Italy analyzed three letters written by Vlad the Impaler in 1457 and 1475. EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) film was applied to the letter and a chemical analysis method was used to extract proteins from the sweat and saliva that Vlad the Impaler left on the paper while writing the letter.
The research team detected peptides derived from 515 different proteins in the letter, of which 117 peptides were analyzed to be of human origin. Peptides derived from proteins related to the blood or respiratory system were found in all three letters.
Through analysis, the research team speculated that Vlad the Impaler may have suffered from ‘hemoracria’, a rare disease that causes him to shed bloody tears.
Dr. Gleb Zilberstein, who also participated in the study, said, “Through additional analysis, we confirmed that there was no animal food protein in the letter.” “It is highly likely that he did so,” he estimated.
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