Beethoven Hair Is the Story

Ludwig van Beethoven, arguably the greatest composer who ever lived, led a troubled life fraught with sickness, deafness, and personality aberrations. Now we may know the source of these difficulties lead poisoning. Scientists have recently reached this conclusion through analysis of Beethoven s hair. When Beethoven died in 1827 at age 56, many mourners took samples of the great man s hair. In fact, it was said at the time that he was practically bald by the time he was buried. 

The hair that was recently analyzed consisted of 582 strands—3 to 6 inches long—bought for the Center of Beethoven Studies for 7300 in 1994 from Sotheby s auction house in London. 

According to William Walsh of the Health Research Institute (HRI) in suburban Chicago, Beethoven s hair showed a lead concentration 100 times the normal levels. The scientists concluded that Beethoven s exposure to lead came as an adult, possibly from the mineral water he drank and swam in when he visited spas. 

The lead poisoning may well explain Beethoven s volatile temper—the composer was subject to towering rages and sometimes had the look of a wild animal. In rare cases lead poisoning has been known to cause deafness, but the researchers remain unsure if this problem led to Beethoven s hearing loss. 

According to Walsh, the scientists at HRI were originally looking for mercury, a common treatment for syphilis in the early nineteenth century, in Beethoven s hair. The absence of mercury supports 

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CHEMICAL IMPACT Beethoven Hair is the Story 893 For Review 894 Key Terms 894 Questions and Exercises 895... 

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