They Croaked HOW?!
ludwig Van Beethoven
Who is Beethoven ?
Born in Bonn, Germany. December 17. 1770
Died Vienna, Austria. March 26 1827
He was 56 years old
Composer of many romantic music ( ironic: he was never married, and by age 27 he started going deaf, making him less attracted to the ladies)
Completely deaf by age 45, he had to imagine the music he was playing
Suffered sever stomach problems the last 30 years of his life( constant diarrhea, emesis, gas
In 1827, He caught Pneumonia.. his stomach bloated, his skin turned as yellow as a banana, blood spluttered out his mouth, his stomach filled with rotting fluids.
Beethoven
So How Did He Croak ?
In 1927, he contracted pneumonia.. it gave him yellow skin, blood dripped out of his mouth, he got dropsy ( which is when fluid that is suppose to come out of your body can't ), his stomach bloated and became huge.
His Treatment Back Then:
They tried to drain the liquid by DRILLING a hole into his stomach and stuck a hose into it and then Beethoven watched as 40 cups of grayish, brownish pus like gunk flow out of his stomach. His healing process was not that great, since there were no stitches they had to stuff rags in the opening.
Since Beethoven didn't get better they sought out a different "cure" which was to "sweat" out the fluid, so they had him sit in a bathtub with hot water and covered his face with a towel and had him soak in the water up to his neck ( since they didn't want to mess with his head ), Beethoven ended up sucking the water up like a sponge and became even bigger....he the slipped into unconsciousness and died in March 26, 1827
Technology/Medicine
no photographs, they drew pictures
no Hospitals, a Dr.in the 1827 didn't know much more than a Dr. in the middle age
Medicine: no pain medication
no stitches (they plugged him up with rags)
autopsy
How Is The Disease Treated Today?
Types of Stomach Disease:
Stomach Flu
Food Poisoning
IBS ( irritable bowl syndrome )
Diverticulitis
Fecal Impaction
Colitis
E.Coli
Beethoven's hearing was most likely lost by the compression of the 8th cranial nerve associated with Paget's Disease of the bone ( which would explain his protruding forehead, large jaw and protruding chin)
Autopsy: says his liver was horrible and cirrhotic ( liver disease ) he used to drink so much alcohol.
Rumor Has It
Paget's Disease ( absolute had it )
- Neurosyphillis
- Brain Trauma( related to frequent falls and physical abuse by his father )
- Otosclerosis
All three theories were discounted with an autopsy. all the pain was from liver disease and from Paget's Disease