Eric Eden Illness

Eden’s illness was one of the major factors that affected his decision-making in 1956. His records at the Lahey Clinic and New England Baptist Hospital indicate he suffered from intermittent fevers. Eden’s biographies and other records suggest that these fevers became more frequent and severe until he experienced a fever of 106 degrees Fahrenheit on October 5, 1956. His doctor advised him to take some time off from public life and go to Jamaica to recover.

In early 1953, the patient underwent a cholecystectomy and the operative report did not note any anomalous findings. However, the patient later developed an external bile fistula and became severely jaundiced. He eventually had a serum bilirubin level of 15 mg/dL. Further, the instrument used to perform the procedure had passed freely down the proximal and distal ducts. The procedure also involved the insertion of a T-tube into the distal duct. However, the T-tube failed to drain the bile. A catheter was inserted along the T-tube tract.