Edgar Allen Poe Died from Alcoholism

From the very start, Edgar Allen Poe’s life was shrouded by a dark mystery. Even his writing seemed to reflect this. However, the most mysterious thing about his life seems to be his death. There has been much controversy over the cause of Poe’s death. Many scholars and experts have researched the topic of Poe’s death, and it boiled down to two main points. Either he died from alcohol poisoning- or from rabies. But there are more pieces of evidence to prove one of these points. It is evident that Edgar Allen Poe died from alcohol poisoning. Edgar Allen Poe died from excessive alcohol poisoning because there is not very many verified pieces of evidence that prove he died from rabies, because he was a known alcoholic, and because he showed many of the distinctive signs of alcohol poisoning. First, Poe died from excessive alcohol poisoning because there is not much evidence that supports the face that he died from rabies. When Poe was brought into the hospital, there was no evidence of an animal bite or scratch, a sign that the patient might have rabies. Additionally, rabies and alcohol poisoning share some similar symptoms, such as delirium, a half-concious and dream-like state, so it is hard to tell if it was rabies. Second, Poe died from excessive alcohol poisoning because he was a known alcoholic, even before the incidents stated in the previous paragraph. According to a letter to the editor in the September 23, 1996 issue of the New York Times by Burton R. Polling and Robert E. Benedetto, Poe frequently showed evidence of his binge drinking sessions in his letters. Also there are letters fro his wife, Virginia Celmm, promising "reform" for his heavy drinking. Clearly, the unhealthy amount of booze consumed by Poe was most likely harmful to his body, and was probably the cause of his death. Last, Poe died from excessive alcohol poisoning because he showed many of the distinctive signs of excessive alcohol consumption. According to Kenneth Silvernan, author of Edagar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-Ending Remembrance, Joseph Walker, a printer, saw Poe at a local Baltimore tavern semiconscious, oddly-dressed, and described him as "rather the worse for the wear" and "in great distress" Poe was then taken to Joseph Evans Snodgrass, a physician and editor that Poe knew. Poe was sent to a hospital by Snodgrass and was admitted to the alcohol unit of the hospital. Poe reached the hospital in a dull, half-conscious state and died four days later. These point are all signs that Poe was under the influence of alcohol.