Prime minister at the age of 24, the Younger Pitt died when he was 46 in 1806 after serving in the highest political office for eighteen years, a term exceeded in length only by Walpole. His health was never robust. It is well-known that he added to his problems by drinking heavily, and it is often said that drink killed him. Far from that being the case, the illness that proved fatal to him can today be dealt with quickly and effectively, as Alistair Lexden pointed out in a letter printed in The Spectator on 6 July under the heading “Pitt falls’”.
Sir: Richard Symington errs in stating that the Younger Pitt died of liver disease (Letter, 22 June). The surviving medical records point strongly to gastric or duodenal ulceration, which can now be cured in a few days by antibiotic and acid-reducing drugs.
Alistair Lexden
London SW1
