Cause of Death
- 18 of the 39 deceased presidents died from heart or brain issues (46%).
- Some of these cases of death are speculative as the exact cause may not have been known or understood at the time. The largest amount of speculation appears to revolve around Thomas Jefferson.
- James A. Garfield (septic shock) and William McKinley (gangrene) died from poor medical treatment for their gunshot wounds.
- Although Ronald Reagan had Alzheimer's, his official cause of death was pneumonia.
- There have been scientific tests conducted on presidents corpses long after they have died to prove or disprove a theory:
- Andrew Jackson - Tests indicated he did not have enough lead or mercury in his system to cause death.
- Zachary Taylor - Exhumed in 1991, tests showed that Taylor was not poisoned with arsenic.
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