[Alexander Pushkin's duel--biographic and medical aspects]

The great Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin (1799-1837) died 46 hours after being wounded by a pistol shot in a duel. The bullet penetrated the right pelvic bone, continued through the lower abdomen, and crushed the right part of the sacral bone. Biographical events leading to the duel are presented in the article, which also reviews articles in Russian medical journals describing the extent of the trauma and discussing the treatment possibilities at the time of the duel as well as present-day treatment. It is concluded that death was caused by peritonitis and that only modern extensive abdominal and orthopaedic surgery combined with antibiotic treatment could have saved the poet's life.