The New England Vampire Panic

During the 19th century some citizens of New England thought that tuberculosis (consumption) was caused by the dead sucking the life out of their surviving relatives. In response, bodies of the dead were exhumed and their internal organs were burned. One particular case involved Ms. Mercy Brown, 19. Her body was exhumed, her heart burned. The ashes of her heart were mixed with water and given to her brother as a cure for his own TB. He died anyway. Read more about this here.