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        New Message Board Archives >> 2002 Posts >> Historial Cluster Heads in History
        
(Message started by: graeme on Aug 25^th, 2002, 3:28am)

Title: Historial Cluster Heads in History
Post by graeme on Aug 25^th, 2002, 3:28am

Just an idle thought - anyone heard of anyone in the past having cluster headaches, or something that could have been this?
I seem to remember hearing of an European composer who suffered from "neueralgia" who committed suicide to escape the pain but can't remeber his name - there must be some historical figures.
How about people who were thought to be possessed by the devil - CH's are certainly very like having your very own demon on board. ???????
Graeme

Title: Re: Historial Cluster Heads in History
Post by Charlie on Aug 25^th, 2002, 6:15am

There is one very likely cluster sufferer, although not very famous. Union General Emory Upton committed suicide in 1881 and was known to have had devastating headaches according to the author, Steven Ambrose who speculates that they contributed to his suicide. From a short bio of Upton:

After returning to the US, Upton was ultimately given command of the Presidio in San Francisco. By this time he had begun to suffer incapacitating headaches, possibly the result of a brain tumor. On March 14, 1881 he was in the throes of one such headache when he retired to his quarters. Upon hearing the report of a gun shortly afterwards, an orderly rushed in to find that the 41-year-old general had shot himself in the head. Emory Upton's suicide stunned the army and all who knew him, but his loss was especially felt by his grieving in-laws.

To me, the case for Upton is a good one.

Thomas Jefferson mentioned in letters having terrible headaches. Jefferson's case is probably iffy.

While I suspect clusters are as old as we, from what I've read, there just are no definitive records. A damn shame too.

Charlie

Title: Re: Historial Cluster Heads in History
Post by Bob P on Aug 25^th, 2002, 11:25am

Frank Capra is quoted on the home oage of the OUCH site.