Beethoven (Part 6 of 18)

The theory of the veneral disease has been abandoned. Scientists have got som peaces of B.´s scull (they hope) and along with the presumed gene for deafness, he seems to have had lead poisoning. Quite common in those days, when even glass and the glazing on pots contained lead.

He probably had a gene for early deafness.

Really good documentary, thank you!

He should have met with a centemporary creative genius of his time, who shared his fate; Francesco Goya.

Of course there is no goodness, there is no God. Life cannot be controlled by an invisible hand, it's just outrageous. I disagree however, that life is in itself cruel. Who says you can't tell the truth to someone? Who says you can't be what you want to be? But of course, life is luck and chance. You never know when life will grant you hapiness, or when it will drag to to the dirt.

on the good side, he didnt go COMPLETELY deaf. he had good days he could slightly hear a conversation or an instrument being played. sometimes he coujld hear nothing at all.

ive heard similar possibilites that it was a form of venereal disease, even possibly syphilis. he could have had anything.

I've heard that his deafness was because of a desease that is very easy to cure today... too sorry they didn't have our medical prgress in those days, he would maybee have been able to hear again

It was indeed Venereal Disease. :(

tinnitis is basically cellular damage in your inner ear, and there are alot of causes. i have reduced hearing in my right ear from when i had scarlet fever as a child. beethoven may have had an illness at one point, or ear infections. i read an account of when Czerney came to study with him he said Beethoven had cotton stuffed in his ears, somthing you commonly do when there is drainage from the ear. bottom line, who knows??