I just read five articles saying that lead caused Beethoven’s deafness. OMG. Thank goodness we don’t have that problem anymore. Let’s explore this very sad mystery.
NIH’s Assessment on Beethoven’s Deafness
According to NIH, “Two different strands of hair taken from Beethoven’s head after his death were examined for heavy metals…The results revealed the presence of small lead particles on the surface of Beethoven’s hairs and fluctuating lead levels in hair medulla along the length of the hair…[According to the NY Times, a normal level in hair is less than 4 micrograms of lead per gram. Beethoven had as much as 380 micrograms!]…Uncontested throughout…was the…constant consumption of alcohol, which was a habit obviously adopted from his father. At [the] untimely age of 16 (in 1786) it was noticed that Beethoven had been showing signs of hearing impairment during public encounters…Aged 26 it was clear…that he was starting to show symptoms of going deaf…In 1818, aged 48, Beethoven had become completely deaf.”
CNN’s Take
CNN asks, “How did Beethoven end up with so much lead, as well as arsenic and mercury, in his body?” They say that the substances likely accumulated over decades of the composer’s life through food and drink.
“Beethoven was known to favor wine, sometimes drinking a bottle a day, and he drank plumbed wine. A common practice dating back at least 2,000 years, the creation of plumbed wine involves adding lead acetate as a sweetener and preservative, Rifai said. At the time, lead was also used in glassmaking to give glassware a more clear and appealing appearance.
“Beethoven also loved to eat fish, and at the time, the Danube River was a great source of industry, meaning waste ended up in the same river that was a source of fish caught for consumption — and that fish likely contained arsenic and mercury, Rifai said.”
Beethoven’s Life
Was lead the cause of Beethoven’s deafness?
NPR, through Dr. Walsh, tells us that Beethoven was ill most of his life, starting in his early 20s. Dr. Walsh says that it’s possible that Beethoven wasn’t exposed to more lead than others but might have been much more sensitive to it.
The lead exposure symptoms he suffered from included irritability, aggressive behavior, low appetite and energy, difficulty sleeping, headaches, reduced sensations, anemia, constipation, abdominal pain, cramping, vomiting, staggering gait and muscle weakness.
According to Dr. Walsh, “He was in total misery, and he became a very peculiar person. His irritability was very great, and he didn’t bathe much. And he was a recluse; he had almost no friends.”
How incredibly sad. He wrote some of the most beautiful music ever; but for much of his life, he couldn’t even hear it.
