Stewart and Cyril Marcus (June 2, 1930 – July 1975) were

identical twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...

gynecologists Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined area ...

who practiced together in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. They died together in July 1975 at the age of 45.

Biography

Stewart and Cyril Marcus were born on June 2, 1930. They were gynecologists on the staff of

New York Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center (previously known as New York Hospital or Old New York Hospital or City Hospital) is a research hospital in New York City. It is part of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the teaching hospital for Cornell University. ...

and

Cornell University Medical College The Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University is Cornell University's biomedical research unit and medical school located in Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York. Weill Cornell Medicine is affiliated with New ...

. The brothers' lives and the circumstances of their deaths are the subject of an article in

Ron Rosenbaum Ronald Rosenbaum (born November 27, 1946) is an American literary journalist, literary critic, and novelist. 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 fr ...

's collection of essays ''The Secret Parts of Fortune'', as well as

Linda Wolfe Linda Wolfe (November 15, 1932 – February 22, 2020) was an American journalist, essayist, and fiction writer., best known for her award-winning work, '' Wasted: The Preppie Murder'', an investigation of the so-called "rough sex" killer, Robert ...

's "The Strange Death of the Twin Gynecologists" in the September 8, 1975, issue of ''New York'' magazine. Film director

David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation ...

drew on elements from the biography of the Marcus brothers for his 1988 movie '' Dead Ringers'', in particular their decline and their deaths. On July 17, 1975, the brothers were found dead in separate rooms of Cyril's Manhattan apartment at 450 East 63rd Street. The apartment was strewn with filth that had apparently accumulated over an extended period of time. Suspected factors in the deaths included

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

and a possible

suicide pact A suicide pact is an agreed plan between two or more individuals to die by suicide. The plan may be to die together, or separately and closely timed. General considerations Suicide pacts are an important concept in the study of suicide, and h ...

. It was first assumed that the brothers had died of

barbiturate Barbiturates are a class of depressant drugs that are chemically derived from barbituric acid. They are effective when used medically as anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants, but have physical and psychological addiction potential as we ...

withdrawal Withdrawal means "an act of taking out" and may refer to: * Anchoresis (withdrawal from the world for religious or ethical reasons) * ''Coitus interruptus'' (the withdrawal method) * Drug withdrawal * Social withdrawal * Taking of money from a ban ...

, but the final report excluded this (the original toxicological report had been in error). Stewart died probably between July 10 and July 14 of a

barbiturate overdose Barbiturate overdose is poisoning due to excessive doses of barbiturates. Symptoms typically include difficulty thinking, poor coordination, decreased level of consciousness, and a decreased effort to breathe ( respiratory depression). Complica ...

. Cyril died between July 14 (when he was last seen out of the apartment, apparently after Stewart had died) and July 17; his body showed no signs of the fatal convulsions accompanying narcotic withdrawal.Rosenbaum, Ron (2000-09-18). ''The Secret Parts of Fortune: Three Decades of Intense Investigations and Edgy Enthusiasms'' (pp. 116, 117). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Biography

References

Further reading