Bonn Beethoven House
Last year, researchers sequenced the genome of famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven for the first time, based on an authenticated lock of hair. The same team has now analyzed the two locks for toxic substances and found very high levels of lead, arsenic and mercury, according to the report. recent letters Published in Clinical Chemistry Journal.
“This clearly indicates that Beethoven was exposed to high levels of lead,” said co-author Paul Janet, director of Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. There is. told the New York Times. “This is the highest value I’ve ever seen for hair. We get samples from all over the world, and the values are orders of magnitude higher.” That said, the authors say Although they concluded that exposure to lead was not sufficient to actually kill the composer, it is very likely that Beethoven suffered adverse health effects from lead exposure.
As previously reported, Beethoven suffered from a myriad of health problems throughout his life. The composer began losing his hearing in his mid-to-late twenties, experiencing tinnitus and loss of especially high frequencies. he claimed The disease began in 1798 with a seizure caused by an altercation with a singer. By his mid-40s he had functional hearing loss, and although he was able to compose music, he was unable to perform in public concerts.
Bonn Beethoven House
Beethoven also suffered from chronic stomach ailments throughout his life, including persistent abdominal pain and prolonged periods of diarrhea. By 1821, the composer was showing signs of liver disease, marked by his first of his two severe bouts of jaundice. These problems certainly had a major impact on his career and mental state, and Beethoven demanded:through a letter Addressing his brothers, he told them that his favorite doctor should examine his body after his death and determine the cause of all his sufferings.
By December 1826, Beethoven was quite unwell, suffering from a second bout of jaundice and swollen limbs, fever, dropsy, and difficulty breathing. His doctors performed several surgeries to remove excess fluid from the composer’s abdomen. On March 24, 1827, he is said to have told his visitors, “Plaudite, amici, comoedia finita est” (“clap, my friends, the comedy is over”). Two days later he died.according to his best friend Anselm HüttenbrennerBeethoven, who was present, was momentarily awakened by lightning and a loud clap of thunder, and “opened his eyes, raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and looked up for a few seconds… There was no more breathing, no heartbeat.”
An autopsy revealed severe liver damage (evidence of cirrhosis) and significant dilatation of the auditory nerve, with possible causes of death. But what was the cause of his liver damage, hearing loss, and even chronic stomach problems? Medical detectives looked to the composer’s letters, diaries, and doctor’s notes as evidence, as well as dates from 1863 and 1888. Possible causes have been debated for almost two centuries, based on reports of skeletal remains when his body was exhumed in 2007. However, no general consensus was reached. .
