Dracula: Chapter X extras

In chapter ten Lucy's health declines and Van Helsing attempts a blood transfusion (without checking blood types first; and which wouldn't become possible for at least another decade) and the Dr. also introduces garlic to the Westenra home by stringing it across the doorways, rubbing the oil on the windowsills, and even creating a stylish necklace of the flowers for Lucy.    So let's take a quick look at that fragrant white-flowered bulb.

Romanians have used garlic to ward off evil for centuries, and would often carry a bulb or consume it in food for personal protection.  They believed the undead would hate the smell, and obviously, since they consumed so much, they were immune to that same repellent odor.  It was also believed that to stuff garlic in the mouth of a corpse, it would keep that dead body from reanimating to become the walking dead.  The medicinal powers of garlic are known and and have been used worldwide, not just in Romania.  Modern health benefits include: aiding common cold or flu, acne treatment, managing high cholesterol levels, mosquito repellent, a natural antibiotic.  For a thorough look at garlic do check the Wikipedia entry.