Stewart and Cyril Marcus
Encyclopedia
Stewart and Cyril Marcus were identical twin gynecologists who practised together in New York City. On July 19, 1975, they were found dead due to withdrawal
from barbiturate
addiction
in their Manhattan apartment at 450 East 63rd Street.
The Marcus brothers' lives and the circumstances of their deaths are the subject of an article in Ron Rosenbaum
's collection of essays, The Secret Parts of Fortune. Film director David Cronenberg
based his 1988 movie Dead Ringers
on their decline and death.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and alcohol...
from barbiturate
Barbiturate
Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, and can therefore produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to total anesthesia. They are also effective as anxiolytics, as hypnotics, and as anticonvulsants...
addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
in their Manhattan apartment at 450 East 63rd Street.
The Marcus brothers' lives and the circumstances of their deaths are the subject of an article in Ron Rosenbaum
Ron Rosenbaum
-Life and career:Rosenbaum was born into a Jewish family in New York City, New York and grew up in Bay Shore, New York. He graduated from Yale University in 1968 and won a Carnegie Fellowship to attend Yale's graduate program in English Literature, though he dropped out after taking one course...
's collection of essays, The Secret Parts of Fortune. Film director David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg, OC, FRSC is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the...
based his 1988 movie Dead Ringers
Dead Ringers (film)
Dead Ringers is a 1988 psychological horror film starring Jeremy Irons in a dual role as identical twin gynecologists. Director David Cronenberg co-wrote the screenplay with Norman Snider; their script was based on the novel Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland...
on their decline and death.
Further reading
- Bari Wood and Jack Geasland (1977): Twins (ISBN 978-0451136541)
- Ron Rosenbaum (2001): The Secret Parts of Fortune: Three Decades of Intense Investigations and Edgy Enthusiasms Pages 97–117. (ISBN 0060934468 97-117)