Full moon brings out inner 'werewolf': study

[The Straight Story]

Full moon brings out inner 'werewolf': study

SOME people are more violent and exhibit ``werewolf'' tendencies during a full moon, a study published in the respected Australia Medical Journal reveals.
The findings of the 11-month research at the Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital could force police and other emergency services to shake-up how and when they deploy staff.

Many in the industry have already claimed for years there is a direct link between a full moon and more violent episodes, however, many police have disregarded anecdotal evidence as only a coincidence.

The hospital's clinical research nurse in toxicology Leonie Calver said the study centred on 91 patients who attended the emergency department, displaying ``violent and acute behavioral disturbance'' between August 2008 and July 2009.

``Of the 91 patients, 21 (23 percent) presented during the full moon _ double the number for other lunar phases,'' Ms Calver said.

``Sixty-six percent were under the influence of alcohol and/or recreational drugs and five attacked staff.


More:
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26479508-23272,00.html

[NightWatcher]

1. anyone who has worked in an ER, driven an ambulance, or been a cop could have told you that

thus the origin of the term "lunatic" being tied to "lunar" and the cycles of the moon.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. Not so

My son worked in an ER and drove an ambulance. He's the first to dispute that idea.

[NightWatcher]

3. seriously? we'd call dispatch and ask them if it was a full moon and 9 times out of 10 it was

that's crazy.

[DavidDvorkin]

5. Seriously

Here's a Wikipedia article on the subject, which includes lots of links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_effect

[TlalocW]

4. Little known fact

The Apollo 11 mission was never meant to land on the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's landing was a temporary emergency evacuation after they discovered that pilot, Michael Collins, was afflicted with Lycanthropy, which began to manifest itself the closer they got to the moon. Once on the moon, the two astronauts decided the only way they would survive the trip would be to overcome the now werewolf Collins with force, and used various moon rocks picked up during the evacuation as weapons to do so.

NASA, fearing a public relations backlash for being stupid enough to send a werewolf to the moon, threw all publicity onto Armstrong and Aldrin, which is why you rarely hear about Collins as part of the team.

TlalocW