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Paul Ferguson Member 
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"In 1704, after causing much outrage as a young man by flaunting his spurious religious beliefs, murdering a man in a duel and failing to come up with the elusive 'universal cure', Johann Konrad Dippel finally produced something of note: Prussian blue ink. Although its discovery resulted from accident rather than systematic research, Prussian blue ink had many uses, including the detection of metal poisoning, for which it is still used today. Also renowned for his interest in dissecting cadavers, his attempt at 'soul transference' using dead bodies and his murky association with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Dippel seems somewhat more of a 'sinner' than a 'saint'." http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/rcse/brcs/2013/00000095/00000001/art00010 |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Dippel gets a mention in a new book by Roseanne Montillo, reviewed here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324610504578275984293884080.html?mod=googlenews_wsj |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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More about Dippel here: "Various parts of the Frankenstein story have roots in history and the scientific and medical knowledge of the time. The Frankenstein Castle is a real place, and a historical figure Johann Konrad Dippel lived there. Some think Dippel was Shelley’s model for Frankenstein although this idea is controversial at best. For example Shelley’s Frankenstein expresses an early interest in occult books and alchemy. Dippel reportedly conducted alchemical experiments, experiments on animals and possibly also on human cadavers." http://hplusmagazine.com/2013/10/31/halloween-the-shelley-godwin-archives-launch-frankenstein-and-transhumanism/ |
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