Dr. David J. Peck - Lewis & Clark Research Database https://lewisandclarkresearch.org/contributor/dr-david-j-peck/ A digital archive of treaties, documents, artwork, and 360° trail panoramas from the Corps of Discovery Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:27:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Sergeant Charles Floyd’s Death: Was It Really Appendicitis? https://lewisandclarkresearch.org/research-articles/sergeant-charles-floyds-death-was-it-really-appendicitis/ Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:27:39 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/research-articles/sergeant-charles-floyds-death-was-it-really-appendicitis/ A medical analysis of the symptoms and circumstances surrounding the death of Sergeant Charles Floyd, the only member of the Corps of Discovery to die during the expedition.

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]]> Dr. Peck provides a thorough medical analysis of the illness and death of Sergeant Charles Floyd on August 20, 1804, near present-day Sioux City, Iowa. Drawing on the detailed symptom descriptions recorded in the journals of Lewis, Clark, Floyd himself, and other expedition members, Peck evaluates the traditional diagnosis of a ruptured appendix against modern medical knowledge. The article examines the progression of Floyd’s symptoms — severe abdominal pain, fever, and rapid deterioration — and considers alternative diagnoses including peritonitis from various causes. Peck concludes that the most likely cause of death was indeed acute appendicitis leading to peritonitis, a condition that would have been fatal regardless of medical intervention available at the time. The article also discusses the expedition’s medical practices and the limitations of early 19th-century medicine.

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