The death of Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis the governor of the Louisiana Territory was found dead the morning of October 11, 1809. He discovered with 2 bullet wounds to his head and stomach which was the cause of death. Lewis committed suicide that fateful morning and has forever been remembered as a great explorer. He had an unstable mind, a drinking problem, depression, and malaria. All of things drove Lewis into the crazed condition in which he committed suicide. For hundreds of years people believed that Lewis committed suicide including his closest friends and family members. Why would any information found today be more accurate or relevant that witness accounts from that day? The role of governor of the Louisiana Territory is an …show more content…
In Captain Russell’s report it talks about how after recovering at the fort on the road he again was sick and got worse as the days went on and he neared the inn. In Alexander Wilsons testimony it talks about how before he committed suicide he was pacing along his floor and he was heard violently talking to himself which would support the symptoms of malaria such as hallucinations and neurologic abnormalities. Hypoglycemia is one of the symptoms of malaria and the NHS says that you eat less when you are experiencing hypoglycemia. In a testimony from Alexander Wilson he says, “Supper being ready he sat down, but he had no eat but a few mouthfuls...” In the Malaria Theory it says that patients have been known to shoot themselves or otherwise inflict harm on their body where it hurts. They believe that by shooting the area that hurts they are “killing the pain”. This is part of the neurological abnormalities that occur while you have Malaria. Lewis shot himself twice once in the stomach and once in the head to kill the pain. Also the CDC says that many Malaria patients will experience relapses in which they stop showing symptoms for a short time but soon will start again. When Lewis was stopped at the fort and detained until he got better he went through a relapse during which he was released and resumed his journey again. When back on the trail as mentioned early he again got worse and showed more symptoms just a relapse of malaria would