Confirmed: Beethoven went deaf from drinking wine

For a long time it was believed that both Beethoven’s deafness as the ill health that led to his death may have been caused by lead poisoning. This is how lead poisoning is known, which was present in the low-quality wine that he drank. This hypothesis is supported by many studies and questioned by some. Now new research clearly tips the scales in the direction of lead and other toxic substances as causes of musician’s deafness. And perhaps his death.

A new study was conducted by a group of scientists from the United States, using one of the surviving strands of the genius’s hair. It was these locks that had already been used to detect the consumption of significant amounts of lead before his death. Now, in addition, it turned out that he also regularly consumed significant quantities arsenic and mercury.

It is still believed that the main source of all these substances may be came. Beethoven had an annual pension, which made him the first independent music composer. He didn’t need to serve any aristocrat to survive. However, he was not exactly rich and did not attach much importance to the quality of some pleasures, so he often drank adulterated wine, much cheaper than what was drunk in the salons of high society. This drink has been adulterated with a small amount of the above mentioned elements. Small amounts that might not be harmful to an occasional user, but this is not the case for an artist. Beethoven’s deafness was his first phrase, but general poor health This tormented him until the end of his days, and the reasons are becoming increasingly clear.

The history of Beethoven’s deafness

Beethoven began to go deaf around 1800, when he was 30 years old. It was not something sudden, but rather gradual. Despite this, his humor was clearly offended, since he was losing the meaning that most influenced his genius.

Fortunately, the genius was so great that grew up in the face of adversity and he was able to compose some of his most beautiful melodies while immersed in silence. As he himself stated that he wanted to do, he was able to “grab fate by the throat and break it.”

But, logically, a musician would not want to face fate. I wish I had a simpler life. Unfortunately, if scientific research is correct, every time he drowned his sorrows in wine, he fueled the fire of his unhappiness.

Lead poisoning is poisoning caused by lead that usually does not show any symptoms at first. Over time, especially if substance use continues, signs such as irritability, upset stomach, nausea, hearing loss, laziness and fatigue.among the others.

All this fits perfectly with Beethoven’s symptoms. In fact, in the letters that the doctor sent to his friend Franz Gerhard Wegeler, made statements that suggested the beginning of a case of lead poisoning. “You should know that my highest ability, my hearing, is impaired.” “I ask you to keep a deep secret about my deafness.” “Over the past three years, my hearing has deteriorated significantly, which was caused by my stomach condition.”

Beethoven’s deafness could cost him his profession, and he knew it. That’s why he wanted to hide it in the first place Hearing loss which, quite significantly, increased as it stomach diseases.

What does the hair of a genius tell us?

Several famous castles Beethoven’s mane. One of the most famous is believed to have been cut during a funeral by a fifteen-year-old boy named Ferdinand Hiller. The boy, who would later also become a composer, was a big fan of the genius, so he wanted to preserve his memory.

The rest were collectibles from his fans. For example, one of them was given by Beethoven himself to the Austrian pianist during his lifetime. Anton Halmwho asked for it as a gift for his wife.

All these castles went from auction to auction, selling for significant sums of money. After several of these substances, it turned out that some of them were in fact counterfeit. For example, Hiller belonged to a woman. But there are also those whose authenticity has been demonstrated, and, in addition, they have served scientists to analyze the possible origin. Beethoven’s deafness.

First tests

Hair grows thanks to nutrients that reach the hair follicles through the blood. But sometimes it’s not just about the beneficial nutrients. The consumption of any substance is also revealed by hair analysis. This is why it is a good indicator drug use, as we recently saw in the series about the murder of little Assunta Basterra. For this reason, many scientists wanted to find the reasons for Beethoven’s deafness by analyzing his hair.

In 1998, Dr. William J. Walshfrom the Argonne National Laboratory analyzed six hairs and part of the composer’s skull. These tests led him to the conclusion that he had suffered lead poisoning in the last months of his life, which may have cost him his life.

Later, in 2007, a Viennese medical examiner Christian Reiter He re-examined the composer’s hair for further clues about his death. The further we go from the root, the further in time the detected substances are consumed. So if you break it down into chunks, knowing the rate at which hair typically grows can tell you roughly when a particular substance was consumed. Thus, Reuters was able to verify that there had been a peak in lead levels. 111 days until death Beethoven, which coincided with the date when his doctor treated him for pneumonia.

According to the musician’s doctor’s notes, he decided to give him lead-based expectorant salts, widely used at that time for the treatment of such pathologies. However, the treatment resulted in the patient developing hydrops, or fluid accumulation in the abdomen, which required drainage through four perforations in the affected area. After these fluids were removed, the doctor sealed the holes with lead soap, which was also widely used by 19th century doctors. Things could have gotten worse because Beethoven was already suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, which his doctor was unaware of. We have lead everywhere. This does not mean that the cause of the composer’s death was the doctor. Beethoven’s deafness shows us that he suffered from the effects of lead poisoning for a long time. But adding more lead only made the situation worse.

Debate over Beethoven’s deafness

In 2010, a group of scientists from Mount Sinai Medical Institute from New York analyzed several parts of the skull, larger than the one examined by William Walsh. In their study, they concluded that lead levels 12 micrograms per gram of bone mass, did not exceed the amount considered lethal. But this does not mean that there was no lead behind Beethoven’s death. This is exactly what scientists from American research centers now wanted to check.

They analyzed two strands of the musician’s hair. In one they found 258 micrograms of lead per gram and in another 380 micrograms per gram. Normally, we have no more than 4 micrograms per gram, so it is clear that there was lead poisoning. This would not be enough to cause death on its own, but it is most likely the cause of Beethoven’s deafness.

In addition, in the same analysis, a significant number arsenic and mercury. Suspicions, again, confirm the hypothesis of adulterated wine. Lead acetate was usually added to the diluted wine, which gave it a sweet taste, as well as other substances such as these elements.

This bad wine ended the career of one of the greatest musical geniuses in history. Although only a genius like him could reverse the misfortune and take advantage of it. Perhaps that ninth symphony and many other works written in silence would not have been the same if the sound was disrupted. Because there was never any noise in Beethoven’s head. There was only music.