Ludwig van Beethoven’s deafness and illnesses have long intrigued historians and scientists. Thanks to the DNA analysis of her hair, researchers discovered their origin.
This is not the first time that the hair of Beethoven came under the microscope of scientists to explain the reasons why he developed hepatitis B before his death at the age of 56 and liver disease. However, investigations never revealed the reasons why he suffered from deafness, until this recent post on May 6, 2024 in Journal of Clinical Chemistry. These discoveries suggest that the living conditions of that time, marked by lead-contaminated food and drink, may be partially responsible for the composer’s tragic hearing loss.
Lead in question
Throughout his life, Beethoven suffered from various health problems, including hepatitis B, gastrointestinal disorders, two episodes of yellow fever, and deafness. After his death, many scientists tried to understand the reasons why the pianist suffered from so many diseases. Already in 2007. Austrian biologists analyzed the lock of hair attributed to him. The results showed large amounts of lead. However, years later, in 2023. publication contradicts this theory. This hair ultimately did not belong to Beethoven but to a woman.
Fortunately, the experts had other samples. Two other wicks this time belonging to the artist were analyzed as part of this recent 2024 study. Both also contained very high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic: 64 times the expected level in one and 95 times the expected level in the other.
The leader in Beethoven food and medical treatments
According to the authors of the study, this high presence of lead in the hair may partially explain the disorders from which the composer suffered. “Such lead concentrations are generally associated with gastrointestinal and kidney problems and hearing loss, but are not considered high enough to be the sole cause of death”. Although researchers don’t know specifically why Beethoven swallowed so much lead, they suggest that it could come from medical treatments and food he consumed, including wine and fish, for example. In his time, wine was often sweetened with acetate. leadand Danube fish, widely used by local industries, were probably also heavily polluted.
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