Preserved Lycanthrope
Head of an adult male suffering from Lycanthropy
In 1884, becoming somewhat of a cult icon, Lockfield and family took a trip to America.
Arriving in Virginia, the family took residence with Lockfieldʼs American companion from Medical School, Dr. Fredrick Galloway. The family enjoyed a fresh scenic vacation away from the onlooking eyes of Londoners, for Lockfield popularity had barely made it across the ocean. Lockfieldʼs motives however, were much more work based than time with his family. Unbeknownst to his wife, Lockfield had been in communication with local sheriffs of near by settlements. Someone (or something) had been eating farm animals from the small towns. While initially suspected to be the work of a coyote or a wolf, the sheer volume of violence in these attacks raised suspicion. Also, around the same time, accounts of three disappearances from the surrounding villages were reported. One local hunter and two children. Lockfield created a timeline and traced the attacks to a frightening circumstance. The nights of the attacks and disappearances, coincided with the full moon. It was around this time Lockfield was in his early stages of creating a dossier on the rare Lycanthrope disease (Werewolf). Like Hypertrichosis, the Lycanthrope disease would cause abnormal growth of hair all over the body. The key difference however, was a destructive effect on the brain, similar to the deteriorative effects of syphilis. This would cause the victim to become almost savage in nature. Lockfield went with a small party of Virginia hunters in search of such a creature. After multiple days of searching, the group was able to catch the creature alive. It was exactly as suspected. However, against Lockfieldʼs wishes, the posse shot and killed the creature to avenge the fallen victims. Lockfield took the creature to a local doctors office to study in secrecy. The preserved head of the creature is still located in the collection, along with Lockfieldʼs notes. It is suspected by Lockfield that there are a few victims of this disease that still run the country side, however they eventually succumb to the elements, giving them a very short life span. |