[HN Gopher] What caused Beethoven's deafness? (2019)
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       What caused Beethoven's deafness? (2019)
        
       Author : tintinnabula
       Score  : 19 points
       Date   : 2021-11-08 18:22 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.pbs.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.pbs.org)
        
       | SeanFerree wrote:
       | Lead was used as a wine sweetener in his day? That's crazy
        
       | francisofascii wrote:
       | > "Beethoven's chronic consumption of wine tainted with lead is a
       | better explanation of his hearing loss than other causes."
       | Further studies suggest he probably drank from a goblet
       | containing lead.
       | 
       | So if that is the case, Many other heavy drinkers of that era and
       | place would have had similar deafness issues, no?
        
         | dotancohen wrote:
         | > So if that is the case, Many other heavy drinkers of that
         | > era and place would have had similar deafness issues, no?
         | 
         | I believe that they did.
        
       | sushsjsuauahab wrote:
       | I believe they found a large tumor in his head upon autopsy?
       | 
       | I think he also was able to hear a bit through the vibration of a
       | stick
        
         | MisterTea wrote:
         | > I think he also was able to hear a bit through the vibration
         | of a stick
         | 
         | I remember it as a stick attached to the piano with a bite
         | piece at the end he held between his teeth.
        
           | sushsjsuauahab wrote:
           | So awesome. Physics!!
        
       | changoplatanero wrote:
       | If you're curious what caused both Handel and Bach to be blind,
       | the answer is this crazy guy named John Taylor.
       | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Taylor_(oculist)
        
         | 1cvmask wrote:
         | This part from the Wikipedia link on John Taylor is great:
         | 
         | There is some evidence that Taylor operated on Handel in August
         | 1758, in Tunbridge Wells, after which Handel's health
         | deteriorated until his death in April 1759. In both cases
         | Taylor claimed complete success.[2] Prior to performing each
         | surgical procedure, he would deliver a long, self-promoting
         | speech in an unusual oratorial style.[4] Dutch ophthalmologist
         | R. Zegers mentions that "after his training, Taylor started
         | practicing in Switzerland, where he blinded hundreds of
         | patients, he once confessed".[5] Writer Samuel Johnson said of
         | Taylor that his life showed "an instance of how far impudence
         | may carry ignorance."
        
         | jnsie wrote:
         | Is there a case to be made that he effectively killed (not
         | murdered, killed...) them both?
         | 
         | > Bach fell ill with a fever soon after his second operation
         | and passed away less than four months later.
         | 
         | > Taylor operated on Handel in August 1758, in Tunbridge Wells,
         | after which Handel's health deteriorated until his death in
         | April 1759.
        
       ___________________________________________________________________
       (page generated 2021-11-09 23:02 UTC)