How the White House Killed Two Presidents

TL;DR

William Henry Harrison's death was likely caused by contaminated water in the White House, leading to enteric fever.

Transcript

[♪♩INTRO] If you know anything about William Henry Harrison, it’s probably that he was the shortest-serving U.S. President of all time. He lasted just 32 days before getting sick and dying in April of 1841. The story goes that Harrison gave an extremely long inaugural address -- something like two hours long -- outside, in the cold and wet, without... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ Harrison's cause of death is likely enteric fever, with symptoms matching typhoid or paratyphoid fevers.
• 👨‍⚕️ The doctor's diagnosis of pneumonia was uncertain and did not align with the symptoms.
• 💦 Contaminated water in the White House from a nearby dumping ground for human waste may have caused the bacterial infection.
• 💢 Other presidents of that era, such as James Polk and Zachary Taylor, also suffered from gastrointestinal diseases, implicating the water source.

Questions & Answers

Q: Was William Henry Harrison's pneumonia caused by his long inaugural speech?

No, Harrison fell ill weeks after the speech, suggesting that pneumonia was not the cause of his death.

Q: What were Harrison's symptoms leading up to his death?

He experienced anxiety, fatigue, constipation, abdominal pain, and eventually, difficulty breathing and coughing up blood.

Q: Why didn't the doctor treat Harrison with bleeding for pneumonia?

The doctor's diagnosis was uncertain, and bleeding was the standard treatment at the time, which would likely have resulted in a quicker death.

Q: How did Harrison most likely contract enteric fever?

The bacteria responsible for enteric fever are typically spread through contaminated water or food, and the White House's water source was near a dumping ground for human waste.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• A paper published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that Harrison's death was not caused by pneumonia resulting from his lengthy inaugural speech.

• Symptoms and timing point towards enteric fever, a term encompassing typhoid and paratyphoid fevers.

• The White House's water source, located near a dumping ground for human waste, was a likely cause of the bacterial contamination.