For almost twenty years I have been describing to my high school history students how Karl Marx’s acute skin problems with boils affected his appearance, temperament, and bitter relations with other people.

I am very glad to receive this updated medical clarification of his physiological and psychological medical condition.

Such little-known footnoted facts often explain major outcomes in world history.

The real cause of Napoleon’s defeat 

Napoleon possibly lost the Battle of Waterloo because on the day of the denouement he suffered an acute attack of haemorrhoids that stopped him riding his horse and keeping up his usual mobile supervision of troop movements. Two days earlier, his doctors had lost the leeches used to relieve the pain of his piles and accidentally overdosed him with laudanum, from whose ill-effects he was still suffering on the morning of the battle. According to some analysts, Napoleon’s delays in launching his assault had much to do with his indispositions: originally planned for 6am, then 9am, it did not start until nearly midday.

The Best of Charles Burris