2008 Woodie Awards
Composing Beethoven's death
Jovanni Colisao
Issue date: 9/6/07 Section: News
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When students think of Beethoven, the first thing that comes to mind is "Beethoven's Fifth Symphony," said Alexandra Megia, a fourth-year television, radio, film and theatre, major.
Having written nine symphonies, 16 string quartets and 32 piano sonatas, Ludwig van Beethoven suffered from many illnesses throughout his 57 years of life, which included primarily abdominal problems, according to the Ira F. Brilliant Center's Web site.
Recently, in Vienna, the Vienna Beethoven Society published a German article that discusses a forensic scientist who is investigating whether Beethoven's death might have been triggered by lead poisoning from his physician, Dr. Andreas Wawruch.
Dr. Christian Reiter, a professor in the Medical University of Vienna has been examining Ludwig van Beethoven's strands of hair that possibly could contain lead poisoning.
Once Dr. William Meredith heard about the article in Vienna, he asked Dr. Reiter if he could publish an English version of his article in this summer's 2007 issue of Beethoven's Journal.
"We knew from earlier tests, that Beethoven was exposed to lead at least by the end of his life," Meredith said, "because the lead was also in the bone fragments."
Dr. Reiter's findings may or may not be true, but Megia seems to believe so.
"I think it's pretty valid because you know back in the day, not a lot of people knew about what certain poisons did," Megia said. "I wouldn't be surprised if that's what really killed him."
According to the article, Beethoven suffered from pneumonia, which Wawruch recorded in his notes that he treated Beethoven with an "infection dissolving medication."
However the medication's side effects involved a large accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, which would force Wawruch to puncture Beethoven's abdomen four times in order to drain the excessive fluid.
This procedure caused Beethoven's bloodstream to spike every time his abdomen was punctured.
Having written nine symphonies, 16 string quartets and 32 piano sonatas, Ludwig van Beethoven suffered from many illnesses throughout his 57 years of life, which included primarily abdominal problems, according to the Ira F. Brilliant Center's Web site.
Recently, in Vienna, the Vienna Beethoven Society published a German article that discusses a forensic scientist who is investigating whether Beethoven's death might have been triggered by lead poisoning from his physician, Dr. Andreas Wawruch.
Dr. Christian Reiter, a professor in the Medical University of Vienna has been examining Ludwig van Beethoven's strands of hair that possibly could contain lead poisoning.
Once Dr. William Meredith heard about the article in Vienna, he asked Dr. Reiter if he could publish an English version of his article in this summer's 2007 issue of Beethoven's Journal.
"We knew from earlier tests, that Beethoven was exposed to lead at least by the end of his life," Meredith said, "because the lead was also in the bone fragments."
Dr. Reiter's findings may or may not be true, but Megia seems to believe so.
"I think it's pretty valid because you know back in the day, not a lot of people knew about what certain poisons did," Megia said. "I wouldn't be surprised if that's what really killed him."
According to the article, Beethoven suffered from pneumonia, which Wawruch recorded in his notes that he treated Beethoven with an "infection dissolving medication."
However the medication's side effects involved a large accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, which would force Wawruch to puncture Beethoven's abdomen four times in order to drain the excessive fluid.
This procedure caused Beethoven's bloodstream to spike every time his abdomen was punctured.
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