topics: |  literature | biography

Many of the stories - if not most - appear to be apocryphal; e.g. William
Harvey is said to have "awakened blind" one morning; he then asked his
housekeeper to give him a bottle which she had observed lying on a shelf
for several months.  He took a draught of this poison and died within three
hours.  [p. 109, from Edward Halsted)

The reliable story is that he was struck with cerebral hemorrhage (palsy) and
died the same night. (see William Harvey)

Many of the stories are prefaced by notes that indicate that they are
unreliable.  Interesting-ness prevails over truth; but aren't there enough
truly interesting situations as well?