What Are the Greatest Comebacks in History?

I must admit, the last time I watched a sports match of any kind was in a 2021 dentist office. I therefore feel less than qualified to speak of such matters. However, considering the lack of definition this prompt presents, the writer is faced with a multitude of possibilities, giving me a wonderful excuse to cover the life and times of Grigori Rasputin. Russian psychic, mystic, and healer, otherwise known as the “Mad Monk” of Russia, Rasputin's reputation for the enigmatic exceeds him from beyond the grave. 

Known primarily for his rather bizarre assassination at the hands of Prince Felix Yusupov, the world was left puzzled as reports surfaced of his survival to a hefty dose of potassium cyanide, as well as several gunshot wounds. Ultimately concluding in his death, the public was still infixed by his seeming immunity to the first few attempts.

The most well known account of the incident comes from Yusupov himself. His memoir, Lost Splendor, details the scene as follows. The very first attempt, serving a platter of cakes and biscuits laced with potassium cyanide, proved unsuccessful as Rasputin finished the confections with no reaction. Incredulous of the man's condition, Yusupov then served him several glasses of wine, again containing large amounts of cyanide, and again to no avail. In a hasty turn of events, Yusupov, with an accomplice's revolver, shot Rasputin once in the chest leaving him seemingly lifeless. However, all in due time, he arose from the floor and began a chase all throughout the wings of the estate, emerging into a courtyard. It was here that Rasputin took four more shots to the chest and face before collapsing for good. Finally, to eliminate any further superstitions, they encased his body in linens and cast him into a nearby river where he was reportedly found days later (Russian History Websites, n.d).

Although perhaps not the most reliable narrator, Yusupov’s memoir remains the most referenced account of Rasputin's death. Upon exposure to the public, people were left wondering: How did he survive? And did he really come back to life? The ladder can be answered simply: Probably not. People have been known to survive gunshot wounds, able to function quite regularly for a short period of time among other things. But that still leaves one more question. How on Earth could a single human withstand such a large dose of potassium cyanide? In the 1910s Russia, medicine was nowhere near as advanced as current day, meaning this revelation would no doubt seem like a miracle. But, as per recent advancements in the scientific field and overall lack of hysteria, there comes several plausible explanations. Among the multitude of theories and ideas, the most notable are listed below.

1. The first theory, and perhaps the most well known, is that Rasputin had already built up an immunity to poison. Falling victim to an assassination attempt only 2 years before, it seems plausible for him to seek out several methods of protection. As demonstrated with compounds including animal venom, ricin (a chemical found in castor beans), and certain opioids, the build up of such tolerance is entirely possible. However, cyanide does not have a biological complex that the immune system can respond to. Some exceptions include the possibility of minimal tolerance in the liver, but it is simply impossible to construct a full immunity to cyanide (Tsatsakis, 2018).

2. Another speculation is that Rasputin may have suffered from alcoholic gastritis. No doubt aligned with his love of alcoholic beverages, one of the symptoms of this condition includes the loss of stomach acid. It is only when cyanide reacts with stomach acid that it can form hydrogen cyanide, considered a more harmful variant (Harkup, 2017). Therefore, if Rasputin did indeed have alcoholic gastritis (no existing evidence that he did), the full effects of the poison may have been depleted.

3. A third theory involves the unproven scientific hypothesis that sugar neutralizes the effects of cyanide. Bonding with cyanide molecules, sugar reacts to form a cyanohydrin which slows cyanide absorption into the body, consequently making it easier for the immune system to eliminate (Harkup). In the case of Rasputin, the sugar in the cakes and wine originally served may have acted as a buffer, limiting the effects of the poison on his body.

4. Finally, perhaps the most straightforward proposition is that the cyanide Yusupov and his team used was simply expired or of “old stalk”. Being a time-sensitive chemical, cyanide degrades with exposure to the elements in turn losing many of its toxic properties. All things considered, Yusupov, with his reputation for lavish and thoughtless lifestyles may have just transferred some of his incompetence to the task at hand – although little evidence points to the plausibility of this theory (Harkup).

With all clarity, the dramatic and often fantastical details of Rasputin's death are due in part to gross exaggeration from the media. Rasputin was hardly a man of magic, let alone the incarnation of the devil. Considering the former, we are now led to the final theory of Rasputin's murder. 

          6. In an autopsy report conducted by Dr. Dmitry Kosorotov (not to be confused with Dmitry Pavlovich, an accomplice in the murder), there was reportedly no evidence of cyanide or any such substance in his system (Harkup). Meaning the most plausible explanation of his death is murder by gunshot wound. Although a bit anticlimactic in detail, it is important to recognize what is perceived by specialists as the truth.

Works Cited

Harkup, Kathryn. “Poisoned, Shot and Beaten: Why Cyanide Alone May Have Failed to Kill Rasputin.” The Guardian, The Guardian, 9 May 2017, www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2017/jan/13/poisoned-shot-and-beaten-why-cyanide-may-have-failed-to-kill-rasputin.

Russian History Websites. “Chapter XXIII - Lost Splendor - Felix Yussupov.” Www.alexanderpalace.org, www.alexanderpalace.org/lostsplendor/XXIII.html.

Tsatsakis, A. M., et al. “The Dose Response Principle from Philosophy to Modern Toxicology: The Impact of Ancient Philosophy and Medicine in Modern Toxicology Science.” Toxicology Reports, vol. 5, 1 Jan. 2018, pp. 1107–1113, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214750018305808?via%3Dihub, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2018.10.001.