[The death of Tordenskiold--from a medical point of view]

The Norwegian/Danish naval hero, Peter Wessel, peerage name Tordenskiold (1690-1720), had a most brilliant career. Enrolled as cadet in 1710, and was appointed admiral in 1718 after many glorious victories during the Great Northern War (1700-21). He died in a rapier duel in Germany. Until now it has been suggested that he bled to death within a couple of minutes, stabbed only once by a rapier. However, present medical knowledge, and descriptions of the clinical picture by several eyewitnesses, suggest that the main cause of death was rather a tension pneumothorax. In 1952, two Danish physicians have succeeded in deciphering a primitive "autopsy" description that had been almost overlooked. They used a special technique and perceived that it was written in a mixture of gothic and latin letters. Tordenskiold has lain since 1819 in a marble sarchophagus in the Danish Naval Church in Copenhagen, but still without the blessing of the Church, because duels were forbidden. Many had imagined that the blessing would be given at the celebration to mark The 300-year anniversary of his birth, held in Copenhagen in 1990 in the presence of her Majesty, Queen Margrethe--but this did not happen.