Crypt of the Counts of Starhemberg, one of the oldest families in the Austrian aristocracy, hides a dark secret. Well, this could be a good start to the story, if not for the fact that many years ago it ceased to be a secret what is inside it. well-preserved mummy of a small child. But what is very curious is that, despite belonging to the aristocracy and weighing well above average for children of his age, it seems that he died of malnutrition. This is what caught the attention of a group of scientists from the University of Munich who finally decided to perform a virtual autopsy to clear up his death. Thus, they saw that no matter how fed the little boy, he died for want of that which money cannot buy: sunlight.
Money can’t buy it, mostly because it’s free. However, at that time they did not know about its great significance. Commoners and peasants spent hours and hours under Sunbeam. On the other hand, for aristocrats who valued a whitish complexion above all, it was something completely unnecessary. So the child got infected ricketsa disease that is not fatal in itself, but contributes to infections such as pneumonia which seems to have killed him.
All this was completed by a series computed tomography imagesas can be read in a study that has just been published in Borders.
Who was the mysterious mummy?
Based on tests done on the mummy, it appears to be a child between 10 and 18 months of age who must have died between 1550 and 1635.. Therefore, although the exact identity has not been confirmed, it is highly likely that this Reichard-Wilhelmeldest son of Count Starhemberg, who he was born in 1625 and died in 1626.
After the identity of the mummy is more or less clear, it remains to find out cause of his death. One look at the boy’s lungs is enough to understand that this was due to pneumonia. But the story is actually longer.
But the fact is that, judging by the images of computed tomography, the child also had some malformations of the ribs very characteristic of malnutrition. They are often associated with scurvy caused by vitamin C deficiency. However, the overweight of the child indicates that he should have pretty good foodtherefore, he rarely gets enough vitamin C.
However, the same malformations are observed in vitamin D deficiency. Some of this can be obtained from food, but most of it is produced by our own bodies as a result of chemical reactions triggered by the digestive tract. Sunbeam. If this is not done properly, rickets can occur, a particularly serious problem in children whose bones are still growing.
Sunlight is needed
Vitamin D is essential for our body to absorb calcium. In this way they get strong bones and a good communication system through nerves. This can be achieved through diet. However, most of it is produced in our body after the skin is exposed to the ultraviolet radiation of sunlight.
For this reason, it is recommended to expose yourself to said light. at least 15 minutes a day, without sun protection, so that the radiation fits well on our skin. Be careful, this does not mean that we have to go through life without protection. Fifteen minutes is enough to go out on the terrace or walk the dog. For example, to go to the beach, it is important to protect yourself from the first moment.
These are all the tips that are known today. However, in the 17th century, when the child who eventually became a mummy died, it did not matter. Although not much. It was easy Middle Ages when intense rural to urban migration revealed a large number of bone problems in young children.
Over time, it was discovered that these problems were caused by insufficient exposure to sunlight, and there was talk of rickets. But the Starhembergs didn’t know that yet. His firstborn may have had every possible luxury and whim, but not something as simple and seemingly ordinary as sunlight. This left him at the mercy of pneumonia, and what happened next is a sad story.
Source: Hiper Textual
