Other Titles
Historical Clinicopathological Conference: Voyage to InvalidismDescription
The 2011 conference explored the gastrointestinal disorder that plagued Charles Darwin for the majority of his adult years. The naturalist suffered from chronic bouts of vomiting, abdominal pain, and nausea most often experienced three hours after breakfast. The severity of symptoms increased in times of stress. Despite consulting numerous physicians and taking a variety of medications Darwin found little relief. Included is a medical history, illness symptomatology, and description of his death. Also available is the full text of the resulting article entitled, "Diagnosing Darwin", published in the spring 2013 issue of The Pharos (reproduced with permission of publisher). Dr. Cohen’s diagnosis is that Darwin suffered from cyclic vomiting syndrome.Alterative Diagnosis: Hypochondriasis. Reference: Cohen S, et al. The Pharos (in press)
Citation
Cohen, S. & Mackowiak, P.A. (2013). Diagnosing Darwin. The Pharos, 76(2), 11-20Sponsors
University of Maryland, Baltimore. School of MedicineVA Maryland Health Care System (U.S.)
University of Maryland, Baltimore. School of Medicine. Medical Alumni Association
Kramer, Morton D., M.D.
Keyword
cyclic vomiting syndromeFamous Persons
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Vomiting
Historical Article
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882