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Edgar Allan Poe Rabies

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Poe Was a Victim of Rabies Edgar Allen Poe was a great writer that lived a hard life and died an unfortunate death. On October 7, 1849 Edgar Allen Poe died. There are many theories of how Poe died such as alcoholism and rabies. Poe died of rabies not alcoholism. 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. This is why it cannot be alcoholism. “The writer is so sensitive to alcohol that a glass of wine would make him violently ill for days.” (New York Times pg.188). Therefore, he could not have died of alcoholism if drinking alcohol makes him that sick. Mr. Jerome, curator of the Edger Allen Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, said Poe may have had problems with alcohol when he was younger but by the time he died at forty he almost always avoided …show more content…

For example, Dr. Benitez, in his article, said Poe was perspiring heavily, hallucinating, and shouting at imaginary companions (New York Times pg. 187). These are all signs of rabies not alcoholism. “Poe had all of the features of encephalitic rabies” said Dr. Henry Wilde, who frequently treats rabies at Chulalongkorn University Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. A doctor that studies rabies and treats them all of the time, even thinks that Poe had rabies. Rabies victims frequently exhibit hydrophobia, or fear of water, because it is painful to swallow.” (New York Times pg. 187). Poe could only drink water with great

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