Chapters from the book''The thesis of the appearance of angels, demons and ghosts, as well as the appearance of vampires in Hungary, Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia''(1746).

Dom Augustine Kalme, French Catholic priest, a connoisseur of the Bible and the most famous vampirolog beginning of the XVIII century, was born February 16, 1672 at Minilya la - Orzhan, Lorraine, France. He was educated at a Benedictine monastery in Breuile and entered the Order in 1688. Ordination was dedicated in 1696. He studied philosophy and theology at the Abbey of Moyen-Mutiri and early in his career, the priest was working on the fundamental 23-volume commentary on the Bible, which was published between 1707 and 1716 years. Work on the study of the Bible adopted him as one of the leading scholars of the church. For many years he devoted to promoting the church work on the interpretation of the Bible. Pope Benedict XIII, he was offered a bishopric but Kalme rejected the proposal. Despite scientific advances, Kalme currently the most famous single work of vampire fiction, written in 1746 -''The thesis of the appearance of angels, demons and ghosts, as well as the appearance of vampires in Hungary, Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia.''
Like his Italian colleague Giuseppe Davantsati, the study of vampirism Kalme inspired a wave of reports of vampires, originates from Germany and Eastern Europe. Vampirism, from a practical point of view, in France there was also, basically, was unknown to the scientist community prior to the XVIII century. Kalme was shocked by the detailed and convincing evidence of cases of vampirism, coming from Eastern Europe, and believed that it would be unwise to just dismiss them. In addition, as a theologian, he admitted that the existence and operation of these newly returned creature sucking the blood, may have an important influence on various theological conclusions about the nature of existence after life. Kalme felt the need to ensure the accuracy of such reports in order to understand this phenomenon in the light of religious world views. Kalme finished its work immediately after the Sorbonne came out openly against these allegations and, in particular, against the desecration of bodies of people who were considered vampires.
Kalme identified vampires as people who have died, and then returned from the grave to disturb the living, drink their blood, or even cause their death. The only remedy for vampirism was - dig up the body of the suspect and either cut off his head and punctured his chest with a stake, or to burn the body. Based on this definition, Kalme collected many records of vampirism, using all sorts of sources - official records, newspapers, eyewitness accounts, notes of travel and criticisms of his scientific colleagues. Most of his published work was an anthology of all the collected data to them.
Then Kalme offered his interpretation of these messages. He denounced the hysteria that followed several incidents of vampirism, and was convicted of desecration of the Sorbonne. He reviewed all the existing interpretations of this phenomenon, including the local folklore, took into account the natural, but little-known changes that occur with the body after death, and the consequences of premature burial. All this information Kalme exposed a critical assessment and highlighted the main issues on the topic and internally contradictory moments.
However Kalme was not able to make a final conclusion. All the features of events, news of which reached from Europe, completely coincided with the peculiarities of local myths, but did not deny them. Kalme left the question open, but seems inclined to the idea of the existence of vampires, noting that''it seems impossible not to accede to the belief that the ghosts really came out of the grave and that they are capable of the horrific acts that he is so widely and quite clearly attributed.'' Thus, he laid the foundation heated debate that unfolded in the first 50 years of the XVIII century. Kalme book became a bestseller. She survived three editions in France: 1746, 1747 and 1748, respectively. In Germany published in 1752 and in England - in 1759 (re-emerged in 1850 as''the specter of World''). Colleagues criticized Kalme for such a serious attitude towards vampires. Although he tried to approach the critical yardstick, he was never actually put the question the truthfulness of reports about the vampire manifestations. Confrontation academics all wider, and it was the turn to intervene skeptical Empress Maria Theresa. A new surge of vampirism was found in Silesia. It has sent his personal physician to investigate this issue. He compiled a record of denouncing the incident as a supernatural nonsense, and condemned the desecration. In response, in 1755 and in 1756 Maria Theresa issued a law to stop the spread of vampire hysteria, including the termination of cases related to cases of vampirism, which dealt with the church, and their transfer to civilian authorities. Decrees of Maria Theresa came just before his death Kalme, which occurred Oct. 25, 1757.
Knowledge-based society of France, both within the Church and outside it, disapprovingly receive ideas Kalme and after his death. It is known that Montague Summers used the work Kalme as the main source of their research.