Edgar Allan Poe died in Baltimore on October 7, 1849, at the age of 40, under mysterious circumstances. Poe was found semiconscious in Baltimore on October 3, 1849, and was taken to the Washington Medical College, where he died four days later. The cause of his death remains unknown, and has been variously attributed to many causes including disease, alcoholism, substance abuse, and suicide. His death certificate listed the cause of death as phrenitis, or swelling of the brain, but the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death have led many to speculate about the true cause of Poes demise. Some theories suggest that Poe died from complications of alcoholism, while others suggest that he may have died from rabies, carbon monoxide poisoning, or mercury poisoning. Despite the many theories, there has yet to be one that proves definitive, leaving Poes death as a fittingly mysterious end for the master of mystery.