King George's Madness Linked to Arsenic

[Kadie]

King George's Madness Linked to Arsenic
By EMMA ROSS, AP Medical Writer

Thursday, July 21, 2005



(07-21) 16:39 PDT LONDON, United Kingdom (AP) --


Scientists have found high levels of arsenic in the hair of King George III and say the deadly poison may be to blame for the bouts of apparent madness he suffered.


In 1969, researchers proposed the strange behavior of the monarch who reigned during the American Revolution resulted from a rare hereditary blood disorder called porphyria.


However, a study this week in The Lancet medical journal found high concentrations of arsenic in the king's hair and contends the severity and duration of his episodes of illness may have been caused by the toxic substance.


The 18th-century king, under whose reign Britain mastered the oceans, defeated Napoleon and expanded its empire to superpower dimensions, was best remembered for the humiliating loss of the American colonies and for the periods when he lost his mind.


While on the throne, George had five episodes of prolonged and profound mental derangement. At the time, his malady was thought to be a psychiatric disorder.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2005/07/21/international/i163932D80.DTL

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1. Interesting!

I heard about the porphyria theory. I wonder if someone was giving him the arsenic slowly? Or was it in the water, or elsewhere?