The death of three US presidents could be related to water

Three American presidents William Henry Harrison, James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor all died in suspicious circumstances, involving drinking water in the White House.

Three US presidents in the 1840s, including William Henry Harrison, James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor, both died in office or shortly after their resignation. Harrison took 32 days after being elected president, having the shortest time in American history.

Modern forensic analysis reveals the relationship in the suspicious death of the presidents. According to Business Insider, the reason could be drinking water in the White House.

Three US presidents from left to right are William Henry Harrison, James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor.(Photo: Wikipedia).

All three presidents died from common diseases: Harrison died of pneumonia, Polk and Taylor died of gastroenteritis-related symptoms. However, Harrison's new analysis of the death case points to another cause.

The process of re-analyzing Harrison's doctor's death report found inconsistencies. Although Harrison had pneumonia symptoms including fever and dyspnea, the illness that made him weakened was gastroenteritis. In fact, the report doctor expressed doubts about his initial diagnosis. If that is true, this indicates that all presidents living in the White House at that time died of complications from stomach bacteria.

In the 1840s, urban sanitation was almost unnoticed and Washington DC was no exception. Researchers consider historical records to find out exactly where the White House took drinking water during this period. They were sure the water came from a stream downstream of the trench that discharged the waste water seven blocks away. In other words, drinking water of people living in the White House is not clean.

Sewage ditch is a breeding ground for salmonella causing gastrointestinal disease. It is possible that unhygienic dumping of water has shortened the life expectancy and the time of office of some presidents. This situation lasted until the second half of the 19th century, when the period of awakening began on sanitation. Cities in Europe and America began to associate dirty with disease, leading to improved sanitation.