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In 1979, Peter Spargo, a chemist at the University of Cape Town, teamed with a forensic scientist, C.A. Pounds, to determine the cause of an episode of "madness" experienced by Isaac Newton in 1692-93. Many historians had noted oddities in Newton's behavior during this time as reflected in his letters and records. Based on the descriptions of his actions contained in these letters and records, Spargo and Pounds summarized the symptoms of Newton's illness as "severe insomnia, extreme sensitivity in personal relations, loss of appetite, delusions of persecution, and amnesia." They noted that during this same time period, Newton was engaged in intense alchemical experimentation and hypothesized he was experiencing heavy metal poisoning (Spargo & Pounds, 1979). In other words, though the descriptions of Newton's behavior were not meant to thoroughly document his ailment, they were still useful in developing a scientific hypothesis. Spargo and Pounds were able to test their hypothesis by obtaining a sample of Newton's hair, which indeed revealed significantly elevated levels of mercury, arsenic, gold, chlorine, antimony, and lead – all metals capable of producing temporary neurological disorders such as those he experienced.
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