20 SEPTEMBER 1997, Page 33

Randolph's malady

Sir: Dot Wordsworth calls Lord Randolph Churchill a 'syphilitic' (Mind your lan- guage, 6 September). Although when he died in 1895 his doctor stated he had been suffering from dementia paralytica, or syphilis of the brain, this diagnosis has recently been rejected. Dr John Mather, the assistant inspector general of health- care of the Department of Veteran Affairs in Washington, who made a detailed study of the case in the light of modern medical knowledge, came to the conclusion last year that Lord Randolph did not suffer from syphilis and that his symptoms were typical of a brain tumour.

Ronald Forrest

Delfryn, Castle Morris, Nr Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire