See Table 1 (above) for brief comments about gout affecting King Asa, Charles V and dinosaurs.25-27
Reactive Arthritis & Columbus
The voyages of Christopher Columbus led to colonization of the New World over 500 years ago. However, during this time Columbus suffered from progressive flares of a debilitating arthritis that were associated with febrile and ocular symptoms, which presumably reflected reactive arthritis.28
This was thought to begin during his first voyage, on his return trip to Spain with the Niña and Pinta, in 1493. Columbus wrote that “he had not slept or been able to sleep and hardly had the use of his legs.” During his second voyage in 1494, he reportedly became “gravely ill” with “high fever and a drowsiness, so that he lost his sight, memory and all his other senses.”29 Symptoms caused “general disability” and “errors in navigation.” Columbus remained ill for almost five months thereafter.29-31
On his third voyage, Columbus developed gotte (gout, a term then used to refer to rheumatism or arthritis, generally and non-specifically). Columbus developed lower extremity joint pain, febrile episodes, bilateral eye inflammation, visual changes and pain.29 At age 51, he was “already an aged man,” and by his fourth and final voyage and through his remaining years, he remained largely “paralyzed and bedridden.”32 Columbus’ illness is generally considered to have been reactive arthritis.29
What if … Columbus had not suffered reactive arthritis that affected and limited his voyages of discovery? How different would modern history have been?
See Table 1 for two more examples of spondyloarthritis: The pharaohs, Moses and the biblical exodus, as well as King Sejong and the golden age of Korean culture.33-34
Pain Management, Napoleon & an Epic Defeat at Waterloo
Napoleon, an emperor aspiring to dominate Europe, was invincible until the fateful Battle of Waterloo in 1815.35 It was Napoleon’s military leadership style to awaken early on the mornings of battles and to lead his troops into the fray. Significantly, and unusually, that did not happen at Waterloo. Napoleon rose late in the morning, reportedly spent much of the day napping, off horseback and walking with “difficulty with his legs spread apart,” and did not provide his customary leadership.35,36 Napoleon suffered painful bouts of hemorrhoids.35 It has been speculated this was likely what happened on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo and that Napoleon was administered sedative analgesics—perhaps narcotics—that impaired his ability to direct his army the following day.
