Bungling doctor "killed" John Keats
25 Oct 2009, 1311 Hrs

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London, October 25 A new biography on Joseph Severn, an artist who befriended romantic poet John Keats, has revealed that a doctor misdiagnosed the 'Hyperion' poet, which ultimately resulted in his death.

The book written by Sue Brown discloses that Dr James Clark delayed treating Keats for tuberculosis for almost a month as he thought the poet was suffering from stress and a routine stomach ailment.

In fact when the diagnosis of consumption was finally made the physician made further errors of regularly drawing blood from his patient and placing him on starvation rations.

Brown writes in her book that Keats, who was 25 years old, became so weak that he couldn't fight off the disease.

"Dr Clark's preferred method of treatment made Keats's last weeks much more painful than they needed to be," Timesonline quoted her as saying.

However, Clark had gone on to become Queen Victoria's personal physician.

Severn had nursed Keats before his death in Rome in 1821. (ANI)

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