unsigned Well then though I ve not read it I suspect Discover magazine is being silly Rheumatic fever is one consequence of streptococcal pharyngitis But another is renal failure causing nephrotic syndrome and thus anasarca So they can t really rule out renal disease nor can they with much legitimacy argue that Mozart probably died of rheumatic fever because it was epidemic Nor have they listed all the possible causes of anasarca These retrospective diagnoses are always rather tenuous and should rarely be taken as proven 19 27 5 Jul 2004 UTC