THE CAUSE OF BURNS’S DEATH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19700, 29 January 1926, Page 7

THE CAUSE OF BURNS’S DEATH.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Respecting tho cable about the pub lication of a book on Burns’s birthday by Sir James Crichton Brown, a front-rank physician, denying that the poet died from the effects of drink, it may interest some readers to know that a few years ago Dr Stenhouse told the Hon. Jas. Craigic and the writer that for some time he had been investigating all the evidence of Burns’s illness and death, and that, as a medical man lie was convinced that his premature death was caused by rheumatism, the seeds of which were sown by overstrain and hard work when a boy. Burns, himself has left on record that when 15 years of age, owing to the delicate health of his father and the circumstances of the family, ho did all the heavy work on the farm and often started up when in bed because of a chocking sensation from palpitation of tho heart.—l am, c-tc., LotuiaC January 2S.