Mere mortals : diseases of the famous: diagnosing historical maladies.

"Diagnosing historical maladies with the advantage of modern medical knowledge. Throughout history, one thing has been certain, even famous and important people suffer from embarrassing and even debilitating illnesses. Jim Leavesley has delved into the history books and attempted to discover what these maladies were and uncovers some interesting snippets along the way. For instance, could Joan of Arc in fact have been John? Did Henry VIII really have syphilis? Why did Van Gogh so favour the colour yellow? Would John F. Kennedy have survived if not for his back condition? This combination of quirky and intriguing tales told by Dennis Olson is addictive listening. Jim Leavesley is a retired GP, author and regular contributor to ABC Radio National's 'Ockham's Razor.' In 1993 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to medicine, in particular to medical history."