Pox, Polio and Poison in the Oval Office

Illness and infirmity have marked the lives and bodies of presidents throughout American history, more than the public has known. Smallpox, the dreaded disease that accounted for up to 10 percent of deaths in early America, nearly killed three presidents. One president heroically withstood polio even though, during much of his presidency, Americans were unaware of his condition. Poisoning was life-altering for Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, fatal for Zachary Taylor, and mysterious for Warren Harding. Most early presidents had food poisoning. Several presidents had addictions; one wrote about his cocaine dependence just before his death. George Washington was bled. Jimmy Carter received the latest "biologic" treatment for the metastatic melanoma in his brain.

This book explores the illnesses of the American presidents through the eyes of a 21st-century medical sleuth. Beyond identifying their health issues, it gives insights into the presidents' demeanor and the history of medicine.