There is a gentleman, rather the worse for wear, at Ryan's 4th ward polls, who goes under the cognomen of Edgar A. Poe, and who appears in great distress, & he says he is acquainted with you, he is in need of immediate assistance. Walker described Poe as appearing in "great distress.” Snodgrass, a member of the temperance movement, gave lectures across the country, blaming Poe's death on binge drinking. The test was inconclusive, leading biographers and historians to largely discredit Donnay's theory. He fell in with some companion here who seduced him to the bottle, which it was said he had renounced some time ago. "If he knew it was Edgar Allan Poe, he'd think, 'Oh yeah, drugs, alcohol,' and that would influence his decision. Get the best of Smithsonian magazine by email. The consequence was fever, delirium, and madness, and in a few days a termination of his sad career in the hospital.
On October 3, 1849, printer Joseph Walker found Poe inside or near Gunner's Hall tavern, and sent a note for J.E. Walsh's theory has gained little traction among Poe historians—or book reviewers; Edwin J. Barton, in a review for the journal American Literature, called Walsh's story "only plausible, not wholly persuasive." For days he passed Snodgrass. Photographs From the Last Quiet Places on Earth. . 17th Annual Photo Contest Finalists Announced. As Benitez pointed out in his article, without DNA evidence, it's impossible to say with 100 percent certainty that Poe succumbed to the rabies virus. Modern science, however, has thrown a wrench into Snodgrasses talking points: samples of Poe's hair from after his death show low levels of lead, explains Semtner, which is an indication that Poe remained faithful to his vow of sobriety up until his demise. The man was semi-conscious, and unable to move, but as Walker approached the him, he discovered something unexpected: the man was Edgar Allan Poe.

If he recorded on the mortality schedule that Poe died of phrenitis, Poe was most likely suffering from encephalitis or meningitis, either of which might explain his symptoms.". Other accounts also mention "ruffians" who had beaten Poe senseless before his death. Others have suggested that perhaps Poe was beaten and robbed, or even that he contracted rabies. Tragically but fittingly, Poe’s death … In the early morning hours of October 7, Poe calmly breathed a simple prayer, "Lord, help my poor soul," and died. Natasha Geiling is an online reporter for Smithsonian magazine. The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe's Death Theories abound about Poe’s death, but there has yet to be one that proves definitive—a fittingly mysterious end for the master of mystery.

W. WALKER To Dr. J.E. Give a Gift. Instead, Poe spent his final days wavering between fits of delirium, gripped by visual hallucinations. ", "A lot of the ideas that have come up over the years have centered around the fact that Poe couldn’t handle alcohol," says Semtner.

This is the first verifiable evidence available of Poe's whereabouts since departing Richmond in the early morning of September 27. His sister had the same problem; it seems to be something hereditary.". In 1996, Dr. R. Michael Benitez was participating in a clinical pathologic conference where doctors are given patients, along with a list of symptoms, and instructed to diagnose and compare with other doctors as well as the written record. On October 3, 1849, Dr. Joseph E. Snodgrass received the following note: There is a gentleman, rather the worse for wear, at Ryan's 4th ward polls, who goes under the cognomen of Edgar A. Poe, and who appears in great distress, & he says he is acquainted with you, he is in need of immediate assistance.
Those around Poe during his finals days seem convinced that the author did, indeed, fall into that temptation, drinking himself to death. Once there, Poe was taken to a room reserved for patients who were ill due to intoxication. Without Edgar Allan Poe, We Wouldn't Have Sherlock Holmes, Who Was the Poe Toaster?

Poe gave Walker the name of Joseph E. Snodgrass, a magazine editor with some medical training.

Over the years, the cooping theory has come to be one of the more widely accepted explanations for Poe's strange demeanor before his death. But though his death certificate listed the cause of death as phrenitis, or swelling of the brain, the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death have led many to speculate about the true cause of Poe's demise. to "congestion of the brain."