He had hideous teeth, rendered dingy brown from chain-smoking and his refusal to practice the most rudimentary oral hygiene—he would only rinse his mouth, once a day, with dark tea. His sour breath was made worse by an infected abscess that he refused to treat. He favored the spicy foods of his native Hunan, an oily diet that often made him constipated, requiring enemas every few days. “A normal bowel movement,” said his personal physician, was “cause for celebration among the staff.” He also suffered from a mysterious neurological malady that caused hot flashes, profuse sweating, and painful
...more
