Edgar Allan Poe Rabies Analysis

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There are many different theories on how Edgar Allen Poe died on October 7, 1849. Above are his last words; though, it seems to be a mystery why. Out of all of the speculations one’s like rabies simply don’t add up. Edgar Allen Poe’s death had something to do with alcohol abuse.
There is not enough evidence to prove that Poe died from rabies exposure. The article by R. Michael Benitez states that Poe’s cat also died and over the past 20 years (1996) there have been 33 human rabies cases. These are the only bits of information to back up the theory of rabies. However, it does mention the lack of a bite or scratch which clearly allows us to see that rabies is an irrational assumption. A more interesting and believable story includes Poe’s known struggle with alcohol. This theory is backed up by Burton Polin’s article titled “If Only Poe Had Succeeded When He Said Nevermore to Drink.” In this article, it proves the theory wrong in multiple ways. It is stated, “ -the pet Caterina, who, uninfected and showing no sign of rabies, died of starvation when deserted by Clemm after Poe's death” (Polin 1996). This shows people that the cat did not die from rabies. Moreover, neither did Poe. From the article, we also know for a fact that Poe had a bad past with alcoholism (according to some relatives, the person who found him before he died, etc.). When Poe was found, he was clearly drunk and disoriented; he was wearing clothes that weren’t his. He was found outside a saloon in Baltimore …show more content…
However, past or present, cure or no cure, Poe’s death was not caused by rabies. This was proven in the article. “In those days, rabies was well known as to causes and symptoms, including itching and other sensations that could affect an entire limb or side of the body” (Polin 1996). Poe did not show any of these symptoms. This shows that Edgar Allen Poe’s death is not included in the statistics and rates of rabies in
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