George III

[leo68lima]

George III was mad. How was his madness treated , if at all?

[shaneystar2]

They say he was mad but they now seem to think he actually suffered from the blood disease porphyria. They also think he went doolally because of the death of his youngest daughter ,Princess Amelia who died of the same thing and there could have other various other causes ..arsenic poisoning for example which they used a lot in those days as a cosmetic and in the powdered wigs they wore .
The doctors in those days would have bled him and probably stuck leeches all over the poor chap. or given him some sort of "powders" which probably did more harm than good .I seem to remember reading somewhere that when they inspected his urine it was reported to be blue .

A brilliant fim about him is The Madness of King George with Helen Mirren as Queen Charlotte and Nigel Hawthorne as King George .


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porphyria

[DottyH]

I did this peom for A level and the link to George 111 was made then:
Robert Browning
Porphyria's Lover
THE rain set early in to-night,
The sullen wind was soon awake,
It tore the elm-tops down for spite,
And did its worst to vex the lake:
I listen'd with heart fit to break.
When glided in Porphyria; straight
She shut the cold out and the storm,
And kneel'd and made the cheerless grate
Blaze up, and all the cottage warm;
Which done, she rose, and from her form
Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl,
And laid her soil'd gloves by, untied
Her hat and let the damp hair fall,
And, last, she sat down by my side
And call'd me. When no voice replied,
She put my arm about her waist,
And made her smooth white shoulder bare,
And all her yellow hair displaced,
And, stooping, made my cheek lie there,
And spread, o'er all, her yellow hair,
Murmuring how she loved me�she
Too weak, for all her heart's endeavour,
To set its struggling passion free
From pride, and vainer ties dissever,
And give herself to me for ever.
But passion sometimes would prevail,
Nor could to-night's gay feast restrain
A sudden thought of one so pale
For love of her, and all in vain:
So, she was come through wind and rain.
Be sure I look'd up at her eyes
Happy and proud; at last I knew
Porphyria worshipp'd me; surprise
Made my heart swell, and still it grew
While I debated what to do.
That moment she was mine, mine, fair,
Perfectly pure and good: I found

[DottyH]

A thing to do, and all her hair
In one long yellow string I wound
Three times her little throat around,
And strangled her. No pain felt she;
I am quite sure she felt no pain.
As a shut bud that holds a bee,
I warily oped her lids: again
Laugh'd the blue eyes without a stain.
And I untighten'd next the tress
About her neck; her cheek once more
Blush'd bright beneath my burning kiss:
I propp'd her head up as before,
Only, this time my shoulder bore
Her head, which droops upon it still:
The smiling rosy little head,
So glad it has its utmost will,
That all it scorn'd at once is fled,
And I, its love, am gain'd instead!
Porphyria's love: she guess'd not how
Her darling one wish would be heard.
And thus we sit together now,
And all night long we have not stirr'd,
And yet God has not said a word!

(it is about a male servant possibly gamekeeper murdering his lover who i think he thinks is too good for him or betrayed him)

[Pippa68]

I mistakenly thought this was why Royals were called 'blue blooded'.

[leo68lima]

Thank you all for the answer to my query. I thought he had some sort of sickness. I also think that Ivan, the Terrible was in the same sort of 'fix'. I think I heard his problem was, indeed, due to arsenic used as a cosmetic (as you siggest, shanystar2)

[shaneystar2]

They opened Ivans tomb sometime back in the 60's and found that his remains contained high levels of mercury and that therefore he was poisoned . They could also have treated him with mercury for syphilis which he is supposed to have had .
He was certainly mad in later life ..killing his own son and attacking his daughter in law .They do say he went over the edge on the death of his wife.

[leo68lima]

So, not quite the same thing...

[dasherman]

I seem to remember this question being asked on the now defunct quiz show 15 to 1 on Channel 4.The contestant answered VD.