Amber Hammons' Final Exam

The death of Edgar Allan Poe seems to be a subject of great controversy; although there is a consensus between all articles on some facts, the cause of death is different. All articles agree that he was found 10/3/1849 outside a Baltimore tavern in a semi-conscious stupor, wearing what appeared to be someone else's filthy clothing. They also all agree that he died in the hospital, contrary to a popular myth that he was found dead in a gutter after dying from alcohol poisoning. One article says his death was a cause of Rabies. Another, that it was caused by alcohol, perhaps not directly, but caused by alcohol nonetheless.

If Only Poe had Succeeded when He said Nevermore to Drink by The New York Times 9/23/1996 said there was proof of chronic alcohol binges in letters from him to his wife, promising recovery.

Poe's Final Days, from Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance by Kenneth Silverman recorded that his doctor wrote a report of profuse perspiration, trembling, and various degrees of hallucinations. According to this article, all of these pointed to delirium tremens, or Mania a’ Potu. His doctor also disputed alcohol poisoning or withdrawl being the cause. A senior doctor at the hospital diagnosed Poe with brain inflammation brought on by ‘exposure’ probably due to the early cold weather. It was also recorded that Poe had a fever upon leaving Richmond for Baltimore on 9/27/1849.

Poe’s Death is Rewritten as a case of Rabies, Not Telltale Alcohol by the NY Times wrote that he entered in hospital in comatose and the next day began to perspire heavily, shouting at imaginary companions and hallucinating heavily. The day after, he appeared better but did not remember falling ill the day before. The fourth day he grew belligerent and confused again, this time worse than the last, before quieting down again and immediately dying. It was also documented that when he was calm and awake, for the brief periods that he was, Poe refused alcohol and drank water with much trouble.

Rabies, the disease Poe’s Death… was defending as the culprit of his death can take up to a year of incubation. Including this hydrophobia, which he seemed to exhibit, is a symptom of rabies. The delirium and such recorded in the paragraph above is also cited as ‘classic case of rabies’

As for my personal opinion, I agree most with Poe’s Final Days. I think that he did not die from withdrawl, or from drinking too much, or from rabies. I do, however, believe that drinking, whether or not he drank extremely or moderately, impaired his judgement enough that he went outside underdressed on previous occasions in the cold, and caught something that caused delerium. Perhaps Mania A' Patu, like Poe's Final Days says could have been a possibility. In all honesty, though, I don't really see why his cause of death matters. He was important in literature, sure, but death is death by any means.