Was “Wild Bill” Hickok’s failing eyesight the result of a venereal disease?
David Durost
Lancaster, California
If James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok had an eye disease, present-day experts believe that, like many others of his time, he may have suffered from trachoma. Trachoma is often associated with poverty and poor hygiene that allows the bacteria to infect and re-infect eyes; if left untreated, it can cause blindness.
In turn, tales have been spun about Hickok having syphilis or
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