Edgar Allan Poe was an author in the early 1800’s. Poe had a very troubling life, he was often in debt and was constantly losing loved ones around him,(especially important women in his life), to tuberculous. He would write mysterious and tragic stories and poems, such as The Raven. One day, Poe had to go to Philadelphia from Richmond to edit a collection of poems. Poe never arrived in Philadelphia, he was instead found in Baltimore at Gunner’s Hall by Joseph Walker, semi-conscious and in second-hand clothing. Walker then asked Poe for anyone he could contact to help, Poe told him about Joseph Snodgrass, who was a magazine editor. Snodgrass decided it was best for Poe to go to a hospital. Poe then died in the hospital on October 7, 1849. Unfortunately, …show more content…
This is not the first source to mention this. Specifically,(in Pollin and Benedetto 1), “guiltless was the pet Caterina,who, uninfected and showing no sign of rabies, died…” Besides the fact that the chances of Poe being bitten was little to none, he also showed no symptoms of hydrophobia,(fear of water), and itching, which are the main symptoms of rabies. It is mentioned Poe didn’t have hydrophobia,(in Geiling 3), “Poe was reported to be drinking water at the hospital until his death,” and Poe’s itching would have been recognized by the doctors as rabies and its symptoms were known, “rabies was well known as to causes… including itching and other sensations,”(Pollin and Benedetto 1). Poe’s given location the day he was found might also imply that rabies was not the case of this certain death. Gunner’s hall is also a pub, which means alcohol was available to him, “Poe was found outside a Baltimore saloon… died four days later,”(Pollin and Benedetto 1). This provides more evidence that alcohol is the true cause of Edgar Allan Poe’s death and explains what had happened to him the days before his death rather than