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The death of Buddha: a medical enquiry
Thomas S N Chen1, Peter S Y Chen
1chenclan@yahoo.com
Abstract:
The death of the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) has been depicted widely in Buddhist iconography. The Buddha is generally shown with a serene or smiling expression, lying on his right side and resting his head on his right hand. The dates of Buddha's life traditionally are given as 566-486 BC. Buddha died from an illness, the nature of which remains unsettled. The present paper examines a variety of sources and concludes that it was tainted pork that led to his demise. He succumbed to the disease pig-bel, a necrotizing enteritis caused by the toxins of Clostridium perfringens infection.
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