Team:Paris Bettencourt/TB Famous People

Physicist

Schrödinger suffered from tuberculosis and several times in the 1920s stayed at a sanatorium in Arosa. It was there that he formulated his wave equation. He died because of Tuberculosis the 4th of January 1961, in Vienna at the age of 73.

British Musicien

Stevens contracted tuberculosis in 1969 and was close to death at the time of his admittance to the King Edward VII Hospital. He spent months recuperating in the hospital and a year of convalescence. During this time Stevens began to question aspects of his life, and spirituality.

Actress

Vivien Leigh suffered recurrent bouts of chronic tuberculosis, first diagnosed in the mid-1940s, which ultimately claimed her life at the age of 53.

Writer, philosopher and playwright

English novelist / essayist

This English author, best known for his novels 1984 and Animal Farm, spent time in a tuberculosis sanatorium in 1938. In 1947 he was diagnosed with TB again. He struggled with this infection, going in and out of hospital until he died in 1950 of a hemorrhaged lung.

German writer/scientist

German writer/historian

Polish composer/pianist

Chopin's disease and the cause of his death have since been a matter of debate. The terminal symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis resemble those of cystic fibrosis, which would be described and named only a century later; but in the 19th century, in the absence of modern respiratory therapy and medical support, survival with cystic fibrosis to age 39 was virtually impossible. Given Chopin's history and symptoms, it seems likely that he suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis.

French painter

Paul Gauguin had Tuberculosis but he died of Syphillis instead

American humanitarian/first lady

In April 1960, Eleanor Roosevelt was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. In 1962, she was given steroids which activated a dormant case of bone marrowtuberculosis. She died of resulting cardiac failure at her Manhattan home.

Czech author

Kafka was diagnosed with tuberculosis in August 1917. He died there on 3 June 1924. His cause of death seemed to be starvation: the condition of Kafka's throat made eating too painful for him, and since parenteral nutrition had not yet been developed, there was no way to feed him

Norwegian painter

English novelist

Anne and Emily Brontë and other members of the Brontë family of writers, poets and painters were struck by TB. Anne, their brother Branwell, and Emily all died of it within 2 years of each other. Charlotte Brontë's death in 1855 was stated at the time as having been due to TB, but there is some controversy over this today.

Vietnamese revolutionary

Russian short-story writer, playwright and physician

Emperor of the French

Nelson Mandela

Egyptian pharaoh

Tutankhamen, died at aged 18, Probably of TB – but an X-ray in 1969 showed a bone chip in his skull

A Beatle/English musician

The drummer of The Beatles survived having tuberculosis at age 11

Emperor of the French

First President of Bolivia, President of Perù, President of Venezuela, Presient of Great Colombia

Leader of Indian independence movement

French clergyman, noble and statesman.

For many years he had suffered from recurrent fevers, strangury, intestinal tuberculosis with fistula, and migraine. After his death, his lungs were found to have extensive cavities and caseous necrosis. His doctors continued to bleed him frequently, further weakening him. As he felt his death approaching, he named as his successor Mazarin, one of his most faithful followers.

American writer

French writer, playwright, activist, and absurdist philosopher

Albert Camus suffered from TB. He was forced to drop out of school (University of Algiers) due to severe attacks of tuberculosis. However, his death was caused by a car accident.

French actress

French writer and philosopher

American writer