Edgar Allan Poe Encephalitic Rabies

Later Dr R. Michael Benitez found out that the anonymous patient E.P was in fact Edgar Allan Poe. For the first time in history someone looked at Poe’s death from an objective view. The doctors at this conference had no preconceived notions of Poe’s death. Many of Poe’s symptoms lined up with those of a patient suffering from rabies,

Many people believe Poe died of rabbies however, there is more then enough evidence that supports he died of alcohol. In "Poe's Final Days"the author says '' Many others who had known Poe, includuing the professsionally trained Dr. Snodgrass, also attributed his death to lethal amounts of alcohol." (Silverman 186). I believe this quote means that even his family knows he had gained his drinking problem back. If he did possibly get his drinking problem back then possibly he could not stop himself from drinking a lot at once. "Poe was found outside a Baltimore saloon in an alcohlic stupor on October 3, 1849, and died four days

1). Poe went so far that he got into a point that he drank absinthe and brandy which is a really dangerous mixture (Poe, Drugs and Alcohol 27). Between the many possible causes of Edgar Allan Poe’s death, his problem with alcohol is really considerable as one important reason of his early death (Scharf, Douglas 1).

Dr. R. Michael Benitez explains that one fourth of rabies victims cannot remember being bitten (Pg. 187). There is no evidence that Poe was bitten, but it can take up to a year for symptoms to appear. “When symptoms do appear the disease is a swift and brutal killer. Most patients die in a few days.” (New York Times pg. 187). Poe was only alive for four days at the hospital and was confused and belligerent most of the time. “Rabies victims frequently exhibit hydrophobia, or fear of water, because it is painful to swallow.” (New York Times pg. 187). For that reason, he could drink water only with great difficulty.

There are many theories of how Edgar Allan Poe died. One of the theories is alcohol. Poe was a heavy drinker as a young man so it is possible. Another theory is rabies. This is also a possible theory because of the symptoms he had in the hospital.

There are many pieces of evidence that support Poe mostly likely dies of rabies. For one Michael Benitez states in his letter that rabies can incubate in a human for up to a year. This proved why Poe did not have a bite at the time if it indeed did happen about a year ago. Also in Poe’s biography it says Poe was semi-conscious stuck in a stupor. This also

The New York Times states, "By the next day (Poe) was perspiring heavily, hallucinating, and shouting at imaginary companions" (NY Times 187). Based on these descriptions of Poe's behavior, it is clear he was suffering from rabies. As stated in the New York Times, "In the brief period when he was calm and awake, Poe refused alcohol and could drink water only with great difficulty" (NY Times 187). This evidence is significant because later in the article it explains that people who have rabies often exhibit hydrophobia, or fear of water. According to a New York Times article, on his fourth day at the hospital, Poe again reached a state of confusion and aggression before he calmed down again and died (187). This supports the other strange behavioral traits Poe was showing, which all lead back to rabies. Given these points, it is clear that Poe died as a result of

On Oct. 7, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe died mysteriously. While there are many theories about why or how he died, I believe that it is a unknown illness or cholera. First, a document by Poe it suggest that Edgar Allan Poe had contracted cholera weeks before arriving in Richmond and had a manic episode. Next, According to Susan Archer Talley, Poe was pale and trembling. His condition was serious enough that two doctors though he was in “imminent danger” and that another “attack would kill him. Then, in addition, John Moran claims that Poe had arrived at the hospital unconscious and remains in that condition from 5:00 pm until 3:00 am. When he wakes up he trembles and sweats profusely until the following day. Although no one will ever know for certain

Edgar Allen Poe was a mysterious writer that was famous in the early 1800’s for his horror stories and mystery writings and poems. He died on October 7th, 1849, but his death cause is unknown and a very controversial topic. Two of the main guesses as to what Poe’s cause of death was is alcoholism and rabies. I believe that Poe’s death was caused by rabies because Poe’s symptoms were of rabies when he died, two doctors, Dr. Pollin and Dr. Benedetto, tried disproving his theory but could only do it with false information, and another well known doctor, Dr. Benitez backs up his theory that Poe died of rabies with scientific support that can’t be refuted.

According to the CDC, over 88,000 people die every year due to the excessive use of alcohol in the United States. Now this proves that alcoholism is a very serious and common issue in our country. Poe’s death to this day has been thought of as a great mystery, most believing he died from either alcohol or rabies. According to several sources saying that Poe was sent to the hospital after being to drunk, not being able to tell doctors the names of his family members/where he lived, and the fact that his cat, Caterina, was proven to not have rabies, I believe he died from alcohol.

“Mr. Poe could not possibly send forth a book without some marks of his genius, and mixed up with the dross we find much sterling ore.” — (From a review of Poe’s Tales, September 6, 1845.) In 1845, Poe, 27, and Virginia, 13, married, and were happy for a time. In 1842, Virginia ruptured a blood vessel; the first sign of the ill health that plagued her short life. Poe turned to alcohol to cope with her illness and the stress of his dying wife. Two years later, Virginia died of tuberculosis, and Poe’s own death would follow shortly two years after that.

One misunderstanding that people have about Poe is that he was murdered. That is untrue and caused by circular reporting. Just because he went missing and they found his body meant that the press had an opportunity to make up something. Throughout the years that rumor has been around and many people believe it. Another rumor was that he was a madman. Poe did suffer from poverty and alcoholism but he was a successful writer and public speaker. Writers would portray him as a madman and leave out details about his life. His mother, adopted mother, and wife all died from tuberculosis. It was probably shocking to someone back then because it was common for sickness and death for people in the 1800’s. It was said the football team in Baltimore was

In life, Poe was an enigma, but his death is his greatest mystery. There are many theories explaining how he died, from alcoholism to brain tumors, but the truth is unknown. Therefore, if I met Edgar Allan Poe, I would inquire

Dr. R. Michael Benitez was given Edgar Allan Poe’s case in 1996 for a clinical pathologic conference. Since the doctor did not know that the patient he was given was Edgar Allan Poe, he gave his best guess after using professional evidence to prove that he thought this case was a case of someone who had rabies. By looking at the symptoms that he was given, the doctor connected them to the symptoms a patient with rabies would have. After finding out that the patient was Edgar Allan Poe who died in the 19th century, Dr. Benitez was more convinced that the cause of death was rabies since it was a common virus during that time. The doctor even told the Maryland Medical Journal “That is a classic case of rabies”. (Benitez 2) Another doctor whose name was Dr. Henry Wilde also agreed that Poe most likely died of rabies since he is a doctor who often treats rabies and says that this is probably the reason since “Poe had all the features of encephalitic rabies.”(Benitez 2)

In fact, Dr. Moran, the attending doctor at the hospital that provided care for Poe, describes Poe’s symptoms: Poe was “in a stupor, unaware of who or what brought him there,” he soon developed “a tremor of the limbs,” and a “busy, but not violent or active delirium”; also, “his face was pale and he was drenched in sweat” (Silverman 44). Considering the classic withdrawal symptoms that Poe was experiencing, it is no wonder that many theorists believe alcoholism was the ultimate cause of Poe’s death. For example, the day before he died, Poe was violently delirious, raving for a full day until he began calling out for imaginary companions. On October 7, Poe became feeble from his exertions and eventually passed away after saying, “Lord, help my poor soul” (“Death Theories”). Furthermore, supplemental first-hand accounts such as that from Joseph Walker and letters full of promises of recovery to his wife Virginia, both point to alcohol as a critical factor in his death (Pollin). Combined with alcoholism, Dr. Moran suggests that Poe’s exposure to poor weather conditions contributed to his death (25). Likewise, Kenneth Silverman, a Pulitzer-Prize winning biographer, agrees that perhaps both theories are correct in that “Poe may have become too drunk to care about protecting himself against the wind and rain” (43). Based on the facts surrounding his death, as well as the state in which he was