On the 100th anniversary of the Endurance expedition to Antarctica led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, doctors writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine believe the inspirational explorer may have had the congenital defect commonly known as a ‘hole in the heart’. Shackleton was capable of severe exertion and made the first crossing of the mountains and glaciers of South Georgia without any health problems. During other expeditions, however, he alarmed his companions with repeated attacks of breathlessness and weakness.
13 January, 2016