The Science of Stephen King

Meg:“Do you have a favorite book or movie of his? What do you like about it and what sort of impression did it make on you?”

Robert Maki: “It is hard to choose, but Pet Semetary is one of my favorites, probably due to the number of pets I have had throughout my life. To bury the dead pet and then have it come back to life was one of the scariest scenes because the pet had changed drastically. The father then buried his dead child in the pet cemetery hoping that he would come back to life. To find the result of this situation, you will have to read the book or see the movie!”

Meg:“No spoilers here!”

Although dogs have become man’s best friend, there are still a number of dog attacks that occur daily. According to a study from the Centers For Disease Control, almost five million dog bites occur in the United States each year, and eight hundred thousand of those bites result in medical care. Why does a dog bite a person? A dog may attack due to their reaction to a stressful situation, if they feel scared or stressed, or if they feel they need to bite in self-defense. In the case of Cujo, the dog may bite if they are not feeling well or if they are sick. To help a dog get to know you, it’s always recommended to let it sniff your hand before attempting to pet it. Typically, between thirty and fifty people die per year in the United States from a dog attack. To put it in perspective, there is an average of one fatality every two years from shark attacks. Both are rare, but dog attacks are more likely.

Wolves and modern-day dogs are considered the same species.

Animal bites are the most common form of injury from animal attacks. The US estimated annual count of animal bites is 250,000.5

Donna and Tad Trenton are locked in their car being tormented by the dog Cujo throughout much of the novel. Tad succumbs to the heat in the vehicle and dehydration rather than an attack from the dog itself. How long would it take to get dehydrated in a car? A car sitting in the sun can gain forty degrees of heat in just under an hour. Our bodies will react and begin to sweat in order to cool us down. This sweating will cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and can lead to heat stroke or even death. An average of thirty-seven children die per year in the United States from being left in hot cars.6 It’s recommended that you always park your car in the shade, when possible, or use a sun shield to help prevent extreme temperature increases. Never leave your children or pets unattended in a hot car, of course, and set a reminder on your phone or other device to help you remember your loved ones in the backseat.

In 1796, Dr. Edward Jenner observed that milkmaids who had been infected with cowpox, from handling infected cow udders, were immune to the deadly disease smallpox. This led to the vaccine.7

The reason for Cujo’s behavior comes down to his owner missing the dog’s rabies vaccination. What is the history behind animal vaccinations? The science behind animal vaccinations is a relatively recent field. French chemist Louis Pasteur developed a vaccine for chicken cholera in 1879. It was discovered by accident when Pasteur realized that a forgotten cholera sample lost its ability to transmit the disease. He hypothesized that this low dose of the disease would allow the chickens’ bodies to build a defense against the stronger strain. He was correct and saved chickens from dying due to this lethal disease. Pasteur developed another vaccine for anthrax of sheep and cattle in 1881. He tested his rabies vaccine on animals in 1884, and within a year, the vaccine’s success prompted its use on humans bitten by suspected rabid dogs.8 Donna is able to defeat Cujo by the end of the novel just as Stephen King was able to defeat his addictions. It’s not always easy, the path may not be clear, but it’s important to fight to save your life.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Pet Sematary

If you’ve had a pet die, you know how sad the process can be. Stephen King experienced this firsthand in 1979 when his daughter’s cat was struck by a passing truck. The idea for the novel Pet Sematary was born out of this experience. In the woods behind his house, local children had created an informal pet cemetery where he buried the cat.