What Killed Jane Austen? And Other Medical Mysteries, Marvels and Mayhem

by George Biro

Jane Austen, the much-loved author of Emma, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility,
was just 42 when she died. Do you know what killed her?
The intriguing nature of Jane Austen′s demise is just one of a series of sometimes famous, often bizarre and always memorable stories featured in What Killed Jane Austen? Why was Louis XVI embarrassed on his wedding night? What uncomfortable maladies plagued Napoleon during and after Waterloo? Did a standin take the rap for Rudolf Hess? Was Winston Churchill fit to rule? Why did Mary Tudor have phantom pregnancies and a deep voice? Have you heard about the Alabama syphilis scandal? What did the autopsy reveal about Lenin′s mental state? Why did Freud dabble with cocaine?
Here is a collection of always fascinating and sometimes gory anecdotes about royalty, quacks, eccentrics, reformers and pioneers, together with some astonishing tales of discoveries, disasters, diseases, addictions and obsessions.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Health, Medical, Medicine, Biography

196 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 25, 1998

Reviews

[~☆~Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sure enjoyed the chapter on famous patients but some of the rest was not that interesting to me. The last chapter turned very "preachy".

This is NOT a good book to read right now as it has too many strange diseases. I should not have picked this up but I own it and was bored.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very lite. Some of their historical factoids are way off (such as Henry VIII's supposed abuse of Mary when she was young, which is untrue, that came later) and the authors aren't afraid of more than a little conjecture. They're not above puffing their favourite author (Oscar Wilde, who while a very good writer is hardly the god they speak of) and praising others with faint damns (Jane Austen, who rated the title but doesn't really rate with the authors).

I've read about 2/3 of this book and it has started to pall. I had expected a bit more depth, which was silly of me. Oliver Sacks this is not.

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title, What Killed Jane Austen? And Other Medical Mysteries, is a bit of a misnomer in that this book, by retired Australian physicians George Biro and Jim Leavesley, is really a collection of short essays about a variety of topics in the history of medicine. Yes, there is an article about what killed Jane Austen (likely Addison's Disease) and bits about other well-known people such as Churchill, Stalin, Queen Mary Tudor and so on, but the book also includes information on such medical events as the swine flu "epidemic" in the 1970s, the treatment of wounded soldiers at the Battle of Waterloo and, in the closing piece, a discussion of the importance of vaccination in reducing child mortality rates in Third World countries. If you're interested in the history of medicine as a whole, this book is probably not for you as it's quite light-weight and doesn't cover such important topics as the discovery of viruses or how the need for operating in sterile conditions to prevent infection was recognized and developed. But if you enjoy collecting light facts about this'n'that, Biro and Leavesley's short book could be just up your alley, as they have a breezy style and they pick a number of very interesting topics to write about.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't expect much and was not disappointed. Some of the topics were interesting and information that I didn't much about so it was nice to learn about them. There were inaccuracies that I didn't like (Henry VIII was not cruel to Mary I as a child but only when she became older and the situation with him divorcing Catherine of Aragon became more complicated. As a child he adored her) and the claim that Queen Anne had all her children die stillborn (not true one son lived until roughly 11). But it was a quick and light hearted read and I think that is what it was intended for.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of essays is an informative and often amusing look at medical history. It highlights key times and historical figures and analyses the evidence of symptoms to make retrospective diagnosis. There are times when the book feels a bit Oceania-centric with many references to Australian population statistics but the facts provided are fascinating and this is worth a read for one who likes their historical trivia or has an interest in medicine and health.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting collection of essays on "mysteries" of medicine. Covers queens & kings, reformers, quacks and other phonies, various famous patients through the years, doctors during wars, addictions, and longevity. A fair amount of humor, little cartoons sprinkled through the book (for which I needed a magnifying glass on my e-reader!), and an extensive bibliography if you are interested in reading more. Definitely worth reading once - probably won't reread it for a long time.

[Keith Beasley-Topliffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird corners of medicine in small bites.

It takes a while to get to Jane Austen, but that's OK. There's plenty of other strange stuff along the way. Strange diseases of royalty. Drugs for poetic inspiration. The fight against infant mortality. All in small chunks for sporadic reading.

[ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the sections on the use of drugs in the past and the deaths of famous people, but unfortunately this didn't live up to my expectations. Every chapter felt rushed, and the epilogue was, frankly, useless.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of short essays about the history of medicine. This was highly readable.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of essays concerning medical matters such as celebrity deaths and weird facts. Some were more interesting than others but they didn't really solve any mysteries.

[Sandra Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.

I am now a fountain of knowledge. I now have the answers to questions I never knew to ask. Thanks from me and all these people around me.

[travelsalongmybookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very enjoyable gallop through a few of the medical mysteries that have had people puzzled for years. I really enjoyed dipping in and out of this one, from what killed Jane Austen, to James Barry, the doctor who fooled everyone as a man until her death. It's an easy and interesting read.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. Some parts more than others. I learned quite a bit.

[Pamela Belknap · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read!

An interesting look at different world events, and a good way to pick up previously-unknown facts! A good bedtime book.

[Allyson Dyar · Rating 3 out of 5]

What Killed Jane Austen? And Other Medical Mysteries, Marvels, and Mayhem

by George Biro, Jim Leavesley

With 2017 coming to an end, I decided to make one of my New Year’s resolutions to write my book review within a timely manner.

Unfortunately, this is one of the books that I am writing up a review way past the time I had finished reading the book so I am scanning the Kindle version to try and remember any salient points.

As I recall, this was a decent read full of short vignettes on various medical topics of interest. The discussion of what killed Jane Austen was one of pure speculation as there is no real definitive diagnosis, however, the authors musings on the subject somewhat were interesting.

The book didn’t strike me as having an over-arching theme; in fact, it came off as a set of the authors favorite medical history stories and facts. “What Killed Jane Austen?” is a nice, leisurely read of interesting medical history snippets — a good read for a lazy afternoon.

3/5 stars — enjoyable just not great

[Yolande · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, interesting and a good factoid book, but with a decidedly Australian & British slant, which gives it a slightly frustrating shade. I mean, there's a section on asbestos, but only for Australia, even if most of the asbestos in the world actually comes from Canada. The authors talk about the first female doctor in England, and Australia and that's it.
So if you're from North America, you'll like it as long as you're not looking for anything from your part of the world.
But if you want medical mysteries relating to anywhere else in the World than England and Australia, just pass...

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a hodgepodge of historical medical oddities, macabre tales and darker moments in the not so distant past. When I borrowed it from the elibrary, I thought it was a forensic examination of past cases but was proven wrong. The book is okay. It gives you anecdotes in history but most of the time offers no conclusive evidence except for a few barbs from the writer.

[Xanthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable enough read. Full of interesting medical history stories. I read this one during my breaks at work, as it was easy to pick up, read in parts and then put down again. I had heard of a few of these stories before, and but most were new to me. Written with a touch of humour. Some of the writing did become a bit too flowery at times.

[David Vernon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining and easy read. It is a collection of essays by medical writers George Biro and Jim Leavesley which have been previously published in various medical magazines. The type of book that is great to read on a train — nothing too taxing but interesting, intriguing and quick to read.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

fascinating..gross in some areas but fascinating
very unique
not much on austen but hey it's a name catching title

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good and funny in places

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read about some medical history cases but also just some general items of interest. Not much new to md and I think I've read it before.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11967856

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories were interesting; some had to be ploughed through.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stuff about Typhoid Mary was interesting. Good read.

[Courtney Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite topics is diagnosing historic figures. The problem is I never know if I'm correct.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. It got me through a post-election reading slump, but was otherwise forgettable.

[Sheila Creveling · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but it was just an average read. I will say it was well done with considerable amount of research.