What Made Darwin Sick?
Posted February 1, 1998

Scientists have long given credit to Charles Darwin for his work in
developing the theory of evolution by natural selection after his voyage
on the Beagle. But when he returned to England, he became ill with
recurring episodes of nausea, chest pain, dizziness, and other odd
symptoms. This illness turned Darwin the world traveler into a recluse
who seldom ventured outside of his own home. Biographers have often
debated the cause of his illness, and several people have suggested
possible diagnoses.

For years the belief was that Darwin suffered from Chagas' disease, a
disorder transmitted by the bite of the benchuca beetle. Darwin himself
noted that he was bitten by various insects in 1835 while in Argentina.
The diagnosis of Chagas' disease has been based on Darwin's complaints
of gastrointestinal distress and knowledge that he visited Argentina
where this disease and the benchuca beetle were well known.

Darwin's notes, letters, and other writings describe the symptoms of his
illness in detail. Thomas Barloon and Russell Noyes, two medical
researchers from the University of Iowa, have concluded that most of the
symptoms Darwin himself listed are identical to those listed for an
illness called panic disorder in standard medical reference books. They
suggest that Darwin suffered from this disease rather than Chagas'
disease because many of the symptoms he listed for his own illness don't
match those produced by Chagas' disease.

Whatever disease Darwin suffered from, it clearly changed his life. From
the time of his return from his trip around the world, Darwin
increasingly avoided travel and speaking engagements whenever possible.
His illness prevented him from spending more time in public. Some
researchers suggest that his illness, in fact, gave him more time alone
to think about and develop his theory. It is likely that we will never
know for certain what caused Darwin's ill health, but panic disorder
might be a possible cause. 

References
Ma, Lybi. "On the Origin of Darwin's Ills." Discover, September 1997,
Vol. 18, No. 9, pp. 27-28.  

"It's uncertain whether intelligence has any long term survival value.
Bacteria do quite well with it."

Stephen Hawking
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