He is one of the most notorious and pivotal figures in English history, leading a revolution against the Crown that saw him cast as a libertarian, a brutal dictator and a class hero.
So it is hardly surprising that Oliver Cromwell's sudden death at the age of 59 in 1658 has been surrounded by suspicion and claims he had been poisoned by Royalist sympathisers.
Now a leading doctor has developed a new theory for what killed the Commonwealth's Lord Protector – and it appears he was just unlucky.
They say Cromwell suffered from a lethal combination of malaria and typhoid fever.
Between 1653 and his death in 1658, Cromwell was the leader - or Lord Protector - of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, the republic and military dictatorship that was set up after the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalists in the Civil War and beheaded Charles I. Cromwell's son, Richard, took over as Lord Protector upon his father's death in 1658, but the monarchy was restored in 1660 when Charles II took the throne.
What REALLY killed Oliver Cromwell? Civil War leader died of a lethal combination of malaria and typhoid rather than a poisoning plot
Cromwell's death in 1658 led to rumours he was poisoned by Royalists
A doctor has reanalysed records from Cromwell's physician and autopsy
He presented his findings to the Historical Clinicopathological Conference
He says Cromwell's symptoms are match of typhoid fever and malaria
By Richard Gray for MailOnline
27 October 2015
Daily Mail
He is one of the most notorious and pivotal figures in English history, leading a revolution against the Crown that saw him cast as a libertarian, a brutal dictator and a class hero.
So it is hardly surprising that Oliver Cromwell's sudden death at the age of 59 in 1658 has been surrounded by suspicion and claims he had been poisoned by Royalist sympathisers.
Now a leading doctor has developed a new theory for what killed the Commonwealth's Lord Protector – and it appears he was just unlucky.
Oliver Cromwell (left) was described as having a 'strong physical constitution' but died suddenly after a short illness at the age of 59 in 1658. Analysis of records left by his doctors and a crude autopsy suggest, however, he died of a combination of malaria and typhoid fever. Cromwell's death mask is pictured right
They say Cromwell suffered from a lethal combination of malaria and typhoid fever.
Known for his tough and uncompromising personality, it is perhaps significant that it took both of these normally deadly diseases to end the life of one of England's most dynamic leaders.
Dr Sanjay Saint, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, believes while the malaria weakened Cromwell, the typhoid fever, caused by a Salmonella infection, finished him off.
He made his conclusion after examining records made by doctors and embalmers following Cromwell's death.
Dr Saint presented his findings to the Historical Clinicopathological Conference, which each year revisits the death of a historical figure, at the University of Maryland.
According to Livescience, Dr Saint said: 'I think that Oliver Cromwell had two diseases. I think that he had malaria, and I think that on top of that, he had typhoid fever, which ended up killing him.'
Cromwell was known to come from a family who had 'inherited longevity' and was described as having a 'strong physical constitution'.
However in August 1658 the man credited with founding the British Empire suffered from a rollercoaster of pains, fevers and illnesses before dying weeks later.
His death sparked a crisis and ultimately the collapse of the short-lived Republic.
While Cromwell suffered some injuries during battle, drank heavily and is thought to have smoked tobacco, his sudden death was seen as surprising.
Doctors at the time describe how he suffered 'paynes in his bowels and backe' and 'gout' on 1 August but 17 days later he was well enough to go riding for an hour.
The next morning, however, he was lightheaded and sweaty and his physician said he had an 'intermitted' pulse.
Oliver Cromwell was seen as a decisive figure in British history and his statue stands outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London (pictured). His sudden death sparked rumours that he had been poisoned by Royalists seeking to reestablish the monarchy
Dr Sanjay Saint believes Cromwell's symptoms were characteristic of typhoid fever, caused by the bacteria Slamonella typhi (pictured), which comes from contaminated food or water supplies
However, by 20 August his pains had disappeared before he began having a series of milder attacks from between 23 and 26 August.
By 31 August, his doctors wrote that his death seemed imminent, but the next morning Cromwell appeared to have rallied. During the following night however, he suddenly died.
While the cause of his sudden death was diagnosed as 'terian ague, it sparked rumours of a conspiracy and that he had been poisoned by a Royalist doctor.
Although malaria is not endemic in Britain today, it is thought to have been spread there by mosquitoes (pictured) in the past
Documents from a crude autopsy conducted at the time reveal that the 'vessels of the brain seemed to be overcharged… lungs a little inflamed… a spleen though sound to the eye, being filled with matter like to the Lees of Oyl'.
Dr Saint said this suggests Cromwell's spleen was filled with oily deposits that are characteristic of a septic spleen.
He said the symptoms appear to be consistent with typhoid fever, a disease that was common at the time and usually caught by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.
An earlier infection with malaria could have been responsible for his other symptoms.
CROMWELL: THE ENEMY OF FUN
It is a myth that Cromwell's military dictatorship banned Christmas mince pies - but it did ban Christmas and theatres
Whether he is a hero or one of history's great villains is a question that still splits opinion.
But one thing is certain – Oliver Cromwell was hardly known for his sense of humour.
And precisely how deep his Puritanical streak ran is shown in a series of proclamations from 350 years ago.
The 'anti-fun charter' – conveyed to the population on posters nailed to trees – spells out Cromwell's grim vision for the nation.
One of the 'acts and ordinances' posters, dating to 1651, declares: 'No observation shall be had of the Five and twentieth day of December, commonly called Christmas-Day.'
And in 1642, parliament ordered theatres to shut – leading to the temporary closure of Shakespeare's Globe.
That decree reads: 'Being spectacles of pleasure, too commonly expressing lascivious Mirth and levitie…Publike Stage-playes shall cease, and bee forborne.'
So it is hardly surprising that Oliver Cromwell's sudden death at the age of 59 in 1658 has been surrounded by suspicion and claims he had been poisoned by Royalist sympathisers.
Now a leading doctor has developed a new theory for what killed the Commonwealth's Lord Protector – and it appears he was just unlucky.
They say Cromwell suffered from a lethal combination of malaria and typhoid fever.
Between 1653 and his death in 1658, Cromwell was the leader - or Lord Protector - of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, the republic and military dictatorship that was set up after the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalists in the Civil War and beheaded Charles I. Cromwell's son, Richard, took over as Lord Protector upon his father's death in 1658, but the monarchy was restored in 1660 when Charles II took the throne.
What REALLY killed Oliver Cromwell? Civil War leader died of a lethal combination of malaria and typhoid rather than a poisoning plot
Cromwell's death in 1658 led to rumours he was poisoned by Royalists
A doctor has reanalysed records from Cromwell's physician and autopsy
He presented his findings to the Historical Clinicopathological Conference
He says Cromwell's symptoms are match of typhoid fever and malaria
By Richard Gray for MailOnline
27 October 2015
Daily Mail
He is one of the most notorious and pivotal figures in English history, leading a revolution against the Crown that saw him cast as a libertarian, a brutal dictator and a class hero.
So it is hardly surprising that Oliver Cromwell's sudden death at the age of 59 in 1658 has been surrounded by suspicion and claims he had been poisoned by Royalist sympathisers.
Now a leading doctor has developed a new theory for what killed the Commonwealth's Lord Protector – and it appears he was just unlucky.
Oliver Cromwell (left) was described as having a 'strong physical constitution' but died suddenly after a short illness at the age of 59 in 1658. Analysis of records left by his doctors and a crude autopsy suggest, however, he died of a combination of malaria and typhoid fever. Cromwell's death mask is pictured right
They say Cromwell suffered from a lethal combination of malaria and typhoid fever.
Known for his tough and uncompromising personality, it is perhaps significant that it took both of these normally deadly diseases to end the life of one of England's most dynamic leaders.
Dr Sanjay Saint, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, believes while the malaria weakened Cromwell, the typhoid fever, caused by a Salmonella infection, finished him off.
He made his conclusion after examining records made by doctors and embalmers following Cromwell's death.
Dr Saint presented his findings to the Historical Clinicopathological Conference, which each year revisits the death of a historical figure, at the University of Maryland.
According to Livescience, Dr Saint said: 'I think that Oliver Cromwell had two diseases. I think that he had malaria, and I think that on top of that, he had typhoid fever, which ended up killing him.'
Cromwell was known to come from a family who had 'inherited longevity' and was described as having a 'strong physical constitution'.
However in August 1658 the man credited with founding the British Empire suffered from a rollercoaster of pains, fevers and illnesses before dying weeks later.
His death sparked a crisis and ultimately the collapse of the short-lived Republic.
While Cromwell suffered some injuries during battle, drank heavily and is thought to have smoked tobacco, his sudden death was seen as surprising.
Doctors at the time describe how he suffered 'paynes in his bowels and backe' and 'gout' on 1 August but 17 days later he was well enough to go riding for an hour.
The next morning, however, he was lightheaded and sweaty and his physician said he had an 'intermitted' pulse.
Oliver Cromwell was seen as a decisive figure in British history and his statue stands outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London (pictured). His sudden death sparked rumours that he had been poisoned by Royalists seeking to reestablish the monarchy
Dr Sanjay Saint believes Cromwell's symptoms were characteristic of typhoid fever, caused by the bacteria Slamonella typhi (pictured), which comes from contaminated food or water supplies
However, by 20 August his pains had disappeared before he began having a series of milder attacks from between 23 and 26 August.
By 31 August, his doctors wrote that his death seemed imminent, but the next morning Cromwell appeared to have rallied. During the following night however, he suddenly died.
While the cause of his sudden death was diagnosed as 'terian ague, it sparked rumours of a conspiracy and that he had been poisoned by a Royalist doctor.
Although malaria is not endemic in Britain today, it is thought to have been spread there by mosquitoes (pictured) in the past
Documents from a crude autopsy conducted at the time reveal that the 'vessels of the brain seemed to be overcharged… lungs a little inflamed… a spleen though sound to the eye, being filled with matter like to the Lees of Oyl'.
Dr Saint said this suggests Cromwell's spleen was filled with oily deposits that are characteristic of a septic spleen.
He said the symptoms appear to be consistent with typhoid fever, a disease that was common at the time and usually caught by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.
An earlier infection with malaria could have been responsible for his other symptoms.
CROMWELL: THE ENEMY OF FUN
It is a myth that Cromwell's military dictatorship banned Christmas mince pies - but it did ban Christmas and theatres
Whether he is a hero or one of history's great villains is a question that still splits opinion.
But one thing is certain – Oliver Cromwell was hardly known for his sense of humour.
And precisely how deep his Puritanical streak ran is shown in a series of proclamations from 350 years ago.
The 'anti-fun charter' – conveyed to the population on posters nailed to trees – spells out Cromwell's grim vision for the nation.
One of the 'acts and ordinances' posters, dating to 1651, declares: 'No observation shall be had of the Five and twentieth day of December, commonly called Christmas-Day.'
And in 1642, parliament ordered theatres to shut – leading to the temporary closure of Shakespeare's Globe.
That decree reads: 'Being spectacles of pleasure, too commonly expressing lascivious Mirth and levitie…Publike Stage-playes shall cease, and bee forborne.'
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