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Just saw this on Medscape. THought some might find it interesting.
Steve

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istorical Perspectives in Surgery
The Case of the Prolific Poet with a Crooked Foot
From Medscape General Surgery
Posted 08/22/2008
Albert B. Lowenfels, MD; Shevaun Mackie Doyle, MD
The Case: Medical, Family, and Personal History

The patient was male, the only child of a mother who was in her early 20s when he was born. He was full-term, the delivery was normal, and, on examination, he appeared to be normal except for intact birth membranes and a deformity of the right foot. A few days after his birth, his mother took the baby to see a noted surgeon who examined the deformed foot and suggested corrective footwear. In addition to examining the baby's foot, the physician inoculated the patient against smallpox. Possibly because of financial problems, the mother ignored the physician's suggestion for corrective footwear. As a result, the boy received no treatment until he was 11 years old. At that time, his mother took him to see another surgeon, who again recommended a corrective shoe and leg brace. The child was fitted with an orthotic device, which was extremely painful and failed to correct the deformity.

His mother was obese and died at age 46; his father died at age 36 from suspected tuberculosis.

As he grew up, the patient tended to put on weight which added an additional strain to his deformed leg. Weight-control measures included steam baths and stringent dieting. Throughout his life he remained self-conscious about his deformed leg. As an adult, he moved with an abnormal "sliding" gait, relying on a cane to improve his walking.
Events Associated With the Patient's Death

At age 22, he developed high, recurrent fevers thought to be malaria. He was also diagnosed with gonorrhea and hemorrhoidal disease. At age 31, he had a convulsion. Another occurred shortly before his death, at age 36, which was associated with a high fever. Excessive bloodletting by his physicians undoubtedly hastened his death; the combined blood loss from venesection and the application of leeches during the last few days of his life has been estimated to be about 2.5 liters.

An autopsy was performed, which confirmed the obvious presence of a deformed foot and ankle. The foot was turned inwards, and the leg was atrophied and shorter than the normal leg. The other main finding was evidence of alcohol abuse, the liver being smaller, firmer, and lighter in color than normal.[1]
1. Who was the patient?

A) Shakespeare

B) George Gordon Byron

C) Edgar Allan Poe

D) Omar Khayyam

2. What is the most likely diagnosis of the birth defect?

A) Congenital tuberculosis

B) Spina bifida with involvement of the lower extremities

C) Clubfoot (talipes equinovarus)

D) Overlooked birth fracture of the ankle

3. Which physician did the patient's mother originally consult after the patient's birth?

A) Ambrose Pare

B) William Harvey

C) René Laennec

D) John Hunter

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DrSArbes
Fellow American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons
Board Certified Foot & Ankle Surgery, ABPS
Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA

Byron, clubfoot, Harvey.

very good perry.
Did you know that or did you research it?
steve

I knew the answer

netizens

It is quite remarkable how many gifted artistist types have TEV. From antiquity the lame foot or holy heel was held in high regard and often taken as a sign of divinity. The Pelasgian kings (Greek Islands) of ancient prehellenic times as well as Welsh kings of Celtic tribes went through real barbaric rigmaroles to acquire a holy heel. The ceremony involved an enforced dislocation of their hip which would be pretty painful. No one is sure for what reason ancient royal rulers went to such extremes to have an equinus or horse like foot. But the idea the hell doiod not make contact with the ground seems to hols the secret. This style of walking was historically considered regal and god like. A common belief in ancient Greece was sacred kings succeeded by tripping their rivals to the thrown. The penalty for this deed was never again to place their heel on the ground. Ancient mythology abounds with heroes with sacred feet or heels (Achilles, Diarmait, Harpocrates and Mopsus to name but a few). The infant Achilles, greatest of the Greek heroes, was held by the heel and dipped into the river Styx by his mother Thetis. This made him invulnerable but with one fatal flaw, his heel. In the Bible, Jacob, while in the womb, was reported to have tripped his twin Esau by catching his heel. Jacob were destined to become King. In Genesis I: 24-26 , Jacob wrestles an Angel and has his own hip dislocated with a subsequent equinus deformity of his foot. There are several translations of Jacob but a popular one is Heel-God. Dancing with a limp is referred to in Kings I and most theologians now consider this is a reference to Jacob (the lame king or Lord of the Dance.

Byron became arguably one of the greatest romantics in the English language and was quite the libertine despite his ailments. Under other circumstance as a able bodied individual he would almost certainly made a distinquished career in the military. No doubt much of his success in the bedroom would have been related to his corn cutters ability to relieve hyperkeratosis. Fellow scribe Charles Dickens also had TEV and attended a corn cutter in London called Mrs Summers-Hill. He was so taken with this height challenged lady he later included her as a character in one of his books. Dickens' work was published as serials (penny dreadfulls) and the chiropodist recognised her character as Stearforth's mother. She apparently complined to the author at one of his appointments and Dickets rewrote the story for the book.

toeslayer

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