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No, Poe did not die from rabies.
This theory first arose in 1996 by a Dr. Michael Benitez. He had read an article on Poe's death written by a Charles Scarlett, Jr. in 1978. In that article, Scarlett commented that Poe had been given a drink of water but that he had difficulty swallowing it. From this single second hand statement, Benitez theorized that Poe exhibited two symptoms of rabies, namely difficulty in swallowing and hydrophobia (fear of water). The problem with the theory is that its factual assumptions are wrong.
Poe's physician, Dr. John Moran attended Poe at his deathbed. In 1885, Dr. Moran stated that he had put a lump of ice in Poe's mouth and gave him some water to see if he could swallow it. Dr. Moran wrote that Poe drank half a glass with no problem.
Since Benitez bases his rabies theory on Poe being unable to drink a little water and since Poe actually was able to drink water with no problem, the rabies theory is simply a dog that just won't hunt. In other words, it's wrong.
What else can I help you with?
Did Edgar Allan Poe die of a brain tumor?
The true cause of Edgar Allan Poe is still unknown, but it could be because of alcoholism.
What did Poe die from?
All the records of Edgar Allan Poe were lost when the death of the poet occurred.
When did Edgar Allan Poe's brother die?
August 1, 1831
What did Edgar Allan Poe's adopted mother die from and when?
Poe did not have an adopted or step mother. He had a foster mother, Frances Allan, who raised him with her husband John. She died of tuberculosis on February 28, 1829.
Did Poe's foster father die before he did?
Edgar Allan Poe died more than 15 years after his foster father, John Allan.
How did Edgar Allan Poe and wife die?
Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe (Edgar Allan Poe's mother) died at age 24 on December 8, 1811. She probably died of pneumonia, but the cause of her death will never be known for certain. Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe (Edgar Allan Poe's wife) died at age 24 on January 30, 1847 of tuberculosis.
Did Edgar Allan Poe's mother die before or after his father abandoned the family?
Edgar Allan Poe's mother died before his father abandoned the family. His mother, Elizabeth Poe, passed away in 1811 when Edgar was only two years old. His father, David Poe Jr., had already abandoned them earlier, around 1809.
Which war did Edgar Allan Poe's grandfather die in?
Edgar Allan Poe's grandfather, David Poe, Sr., was a quartermaster in the American Revolutionary War, and he fought in the battle of Baltimore towards the end of the War of 1812 at the age of 71 though he did not die until two years later.
When did Edgar Allan Poe's aunt die?
His sister, Rosalie Mackenzie Poe, died on July 21, 1874.
How did Edgar Allan Poe's first wife die?
Poe had only one wife, Virginia Clemm. She died of tuberculosis in 1847.
How and when did Edgar Allan Poe's foster mother die?
Frances Allan died on February 28, 1829. The cause of death is not known.
Did Edgar Allan Poe's natural mother die of consumption?
No. Consumption, or tuberculosis, caused the death of Poe's wife Virginia, but not his mother's. Poe's mother did die of a lung ailment, but according to a family member it was pneumonia, not tuberculosis. Poe's mother had no history of having tuberculosis.
