porphyria

Term: porphyria

Literally meaning: “state or disease characterised by purple hue”

Origin: Anc Greek
πορφυρούν/porphyroun(= deep red or marine shell Haustellum brandaris which used for extraction of πορφύρα dye 

πυρ/pyr(=fire)

+φύρω/phyro(=stir)

+-ία/-ia(=suffix denoting a state in feminine gender)

Coined/History

In 1889 by Dutch phycisian and Barend Joseph Stokvis (1834 –1902) who observed the dark red urine, discovered that it contained porphyrins. Porphyrins had been described as a chemical entity in 1871 by the German chemist Felix Hoppe-Syeler, named for their purple hue .

Definition

Porphyrias are a group of inherited or acquired disorders caused by abnormalities in the chemical steps that lead to heme production affecting mainly skin and nervous system. Symptoms include blisters, itching, and swelling of skin when it is exposed to sunlight and also pain in the chest or abdomen, vomiting, and diarrhea or constipation.

Comment
In 1985 David Dolphin, a biochemist, suggested that the mythical vampires might have been people suffering with porphyria. He made his case by pointing out that porphyria victims are exceedingly sensitive to sunlight.