evidence: In his well-received 1853 textbook, "Practical Observations on Aural Surgery and the Nature and Treatment of the Diseases of the Ear," Sir William warned of the infectious and deadly power of discharges from the ear: "…so long as otorrhoea [ear discharge] is present, we never can tell how, when, or what it may lead to." His son’s course of illness proves this morbid observation all too well. A middle ear infection and its subsequent spread to his brain may appear to be the best medical explanation for Oscar Wilde’s death. Others less medically inclined might say with equal conviction that he died of a broken heart and spirit. Regardless of the precise cause of his premature death on this day 115 years ago, we ought to praise "The Importance of Being Oscar." Every Oscar Wilde admirer has his or her favorite "Wilde witticism." One of his most enduring lines, however, might well serve as his credo: "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Dr. Howard Markel writes a monthly column for the PBS NewsHour, highlighting the anniversary of a momentous event that continues to shape modern medicine.