Medical Mysteries A HOWLING GOOD TIME WITH WEREWOLVES

Halloween is the perfect time to think about all the monsters we’ve known and loved. Monsters in the movies go back more than a hundred years to a Frankenstein film produced by Edison Studios. Since then, we’ve seen a wide array of other delightful monsters including mummies, vampires, zombies, and alien beings.

My personal favorite has always been the noble werewolf. Since the 1930s, more than a hundred actors have potrayed movie and TV werewolves according to IMDb. The list includes Bela Lugosi, Michael Landon, Ozzy Osbourne, Michael J. Fox, Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito, and Anna Paquin (despite her later kanoodling with vampires on TV’s “True Blood,” Paquin played a werewolf in a 2007 movie.)

According to the website bizarbin.com, werewolves appeared in Turkish cave paintings way back in 8,000 B.C. The site also says there is a recorded Greek story about

“Damarchus, an Arcadian werewolf who changed back to a man after nine years and was reported to have won a boxing medal at the Greek Olympics.” They didn’t have steroid testing—or werewolf testing—in those days.

Werewolf hysteria peaked in the 1500s and 1600s. During that time, there were an astonishing 30,000 werewolf trials in France, according to birabin.com. Around 1640, citizens in a German town melted their silver goblets and plates to make silver bullets—the preferred method of snuffing a werewolf. Most of the werewolf claims probably involved wolves or other wild beasts attacking people. The angry citizenry blamed the attacks on some poor patsy and burned him at the stake.

Much of the werewolf mythology likely comes from a psychiatric syndrome known as “clinical lycanthropy,” the term for having the delusion of being able to turn oneself into a wolf. A psychiatry professor in the Netherlands, Dr. Jan Dir Blom, found there were at least 13 documented cases since 1850 that fully meet the criteria for clinical lycanthropy.

For example, one normallooking man was convinced he had wolf’s teeth and “complained he had cloven feet and a body covered with long hair,” LiveScience reported. “He said that he only wanted to eat raw meat, but when it was given to him, he refused it because it was not rotten enough.” Wisely, the man was committed to an asylum.

Other reports of werewolves may come from a rare medical condition called hypertrichosis, which causes people to grow thick hair over face and body.

The bottom line is, no, there has never been an honest-togoodness werewolf. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, hang onto your silver bullets.

Sources

“A Brief History of Real Life ‘Werewolves,’ “ by Matt Soniak, MentalFloss.com http://mentalfloss.com/article/59824/brief-historyreal-life-werewolves

“Real-Life Werewolves: Psychiatry ReExamines Rare Delusion,” by Bahar Gholipour, LiveScience.com, April 16, 2014 http://www.livescience.com/44875-werewolves-inpsychiatry.html

“How Werewolves Work,” by Tracy V. Wilson, HowStuffWorks.com, http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/ strange-creatures/werewolf5.htm

“10 Real Life Werewolves,” ListVerse.com, , 2012 http://listverse.com/2012/01/25/10-true-lifewerewolves/

“Werewolf -- the truth behind the myth,” Bizarbin.com http://www.bizarbin.com/werewolf/ “Actors Who Portrayed Werewolves in 1930s-Present,” by “BatBanks,” IMDb.com http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075839525/

Eustis High School

Standout Baseball Player

BRADY SINGER WILL TAKE HIS PITCHING TALENTS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

And for those who dream of becoming a major league baseball player, the numbers are staggeringly lower. In fact, only 0.6 percent of high school players play professionally, according to statistics from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Lifelong Lake County resident Brady Singer was on his way to defying those odds. During the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, the Toronto Blue Jays selected the right-handed ace pitcher from Eustis High School as the 56th overall pick. However, he did not reach an agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays before the July 17 deadline for signing 2015 draftees. Don’t think for one second that his dreams have been shattered. It’s just that he realizes there is more to life than the fame, money, travel, and other perks of being a professional athlete. That’s why he decided to honor his original commitment to the University of Florida and play three years in Gainesville.

Simply put, Brady, 18, is proud to be a Florida Gator and don the orange-and-blue uniform.

“I’ll have an opportunity to earn a degree before moving on to professional ball. Plus, the ratio of college players who play professionally is much higher than players right out of high school.”

Fulfilling A Dream

Inside the home of Brady’s parents is an area affectionately known as “the baseball room.” Newspaper articles, game-winning baseballs, trophies, and medals are constant reminders of his feats on the baseball ield. There’s also a picture on the wall that has served as the inspiration behind Brady’s drive and determination. The picture shows

BRADY: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

Hobbies

Fishing and golf

Favorite professional athlete

Nolan Ryan

Favorite team

Atlanta Braves

Favorite musician Eric Church

Grade-point average

3.2

Favorite subject

Math because I love problem solving

Guilty pleasure

Eating leftover dinner at midnight

BRADY’S 2015 STATS AT EUSTIS HIGH SCHOOL

Record: 8-3

Strikeouts: 110

Opponent’s batting average:

.146

Innings pitched: 67 No hitters: 1

Source: MaxPreps the bloodied face of legendary pitcher Nolan Ryan after being hit by a line drive.

“That picture captured his competiveness and desire to win. It always inspired me and still does to this day.”

Brady recalls falling in love with the sport the moment he irst held a baseball.

“I knew right then I wanted to be a baseball player and never wanted to be anything else. As a small boy, I would go outside and make diving catches in mud puddles and slide into dirt. I’d also throw the baseball with my older brother, Brandon.”

At 7, he became a member of a travel team called the Little Giants. And during his teenage years he joined Chet Lemon’s Juice, a travel team based in Mount Dora. Brady thrived under the tutelage of Chet Lemon, a three-time Major League Baseball all-star and member of the 1984 World Series champion Detroit Tigers. The Juice traveled extensively, and Brady went as many as 18 days without seeing his parents. However, that allowed him to form a valuable bond with Chet.

“He took me under his wing and we bonded like a father and son. He had me working out and training ive days a week. I always listened to what he had to say because Chet played professional baseball for 20 years. He was the one who got me where I am today, and he also helped get scouts out to see me play.”

‘ARM’ED AND READY

Throughout the years, the 6-foot, 5-inch pitcher has developed a cannon of an arm. His fastball currently registers at 96 miles per hour. During his senior season at Eustis High School this year, Brady struck out 110 batters.

Still, he is the irst to admit there’s room for improvement.

“I’m still working on my secondary pitches and changeup curveball,” he said. “Also, I’m tall and lanky and want to get stronger.”

Brady, who committed to the University of Florida following his sophomore season in high school, moved to Gainesville in July and began participating in baseball drills and workouts with teammates.

“The guys on the team are really cool,” he said. “We go out to dinner together and spend time downtown.”

He hopes that team togetherness pays big dividends in the 2016 season. Last year, the Gators finished with a 52-18 record, won the Southeastern Conference Tournament, and advanced to the College World Series in Omaha. With a wealth of returning players from that team, the Gators have their sights set on wining a national championship.

“My goal is to become bigger, better, and stronger and lead UF to a national championship at the College World Series. We have a great mix of returning players and a great freshman class coming in. It is really exciting to think how good next year’s team might be. The sky is the limit.”

The possibility of playing on a national championship team certainly eases his decision to not sign with Toronto. Plus, he plans on pursuing a degree in a sports-related ield such as management or nutrition.

“My mom has always said education comes first, and having a degree to fall back on is very important. Both parents have been extremely supportive about my decision and have been there for me throughout the entire process. My friends have also been very supportive. There are a lot of UF fans in Lake County, and now they’ll be able to drive up to Gainesville and watch me play.”

As for the future, Brady will enter the Major League Draft following his junior season at UF. And he already has plans once his professional playing days are finished. He will return to Lake County and help develop young baseball players.

“I think it’s important to give back to the community. I love coaching and I love being around children. That is a part of my life that I’m looking forward to.”