Beethoven medical update

[Peter]

After Beethoven's body was exhumed and reburied in 1888, some of the skull bones were removed and went missing. In the 1980's Bankl and Jesserer discovered some of them in Marseille and brought them back to Vienna. After extensive research, an article was published in a medical magazine. They also wrote what is supposed to be an excellent book, but I have not been able to trace it. It seems odd with all the theories now circulating about lead poisoning that no one has DNA tested these skull bones.
Tests are being carried out on hair taken from Beethoven earlier in his life and results should be available next year.

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'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

I, too, remember reading something about the discovery of B's skull bones and doing some research on them. Do you remember in which medical magazine the article was published?
I will do some investigative work the next couple of days and see if I can find anything out about a book being written on the subject. Of course, as we all know, (it's been discussed here many times before), the book "Beethoven's Hair" by Russell Martin discusses extensively about the DNA testing done on his hair taken at the time of his death and that's where the lead poisoning theory came from. I do not recall any samples taken on hair earlier in his life?!? Now, that would be interesting to learn what they find out on that testing.
Joy

[Peter]

Originally posted by Joy:
I, too, remember reading something about the discovery of B's skull bones and doing some research on them. Do you remember in which medical magazine the article was published?

Afraid not Joy, so I'm hoping your investigation will dig up some useful info.

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'Man know thyself'

[Immortal Beloved]

Originally posted by Peter:
After Beethoven's body was exhumed and reburied in 1888, some of the skull bones were removed and went missing. In the 1980's Bankl and Jesserer discovered some of them in Marseille and brought them back to Vienna. After extensive research, an article was published in a medical magazine. They also wrote what is supposed to be an excellent book, but I have not been able to trace it. It seems odd with all the theories now circulating about lead poisoning that no one has DNA tested these skull bones.
Tests are being carried out on hair taken from Beethoven earlier in his life and results should be available next year.

that is so weird...what's the tittle of the book?

[Joy]

Originally posted by Peter:
Afraid not Joy, so I'm hoping your investigation will dig up some useful info.

So far I haven't come up with much. Haven't looked into it too much either over the past few days (work has been a bit hectic what with our Holiday and all). Wanted you to know I will work on it this weekend and get back next week, hopefully with some kind of info.
Cheers,
Joy

[Claudie MICAULT]

We are all waiting !!! Thanks to you to search for us... I never heard about this story of skull bones before... even if I am in good relations with the Beethoven-Haus.
I think they don't want to tell a lot... for they prefer to write tehmselves a book (hélas for most people in German !)and sell it before any explanation.
For example I have a very little and ancient book with a photograph of a cast of B.'s hands (both of them). I sent a copy to B.'s Haus... they answered me they were hands of Chopin (!!!) and that no cast of B.s Hands was taken.
Really I am not convinced because they are so close of the DANHAUSER.'s sketch....
And recently I heard that at B.'s haus they discuss about this subject.
Let us hope you find something somewhere....

[Joy]

I thought I would find something here 'this side of the pond' but to no avail. The best I could find is this websight which is in German. Perhaps we could enlist Bernhard's assistance. If I find anything sometime in the future I will let you all know.
http://aolsearch.aol.com/dirsearch.a...and%20Jesserer

[Roehre]

that is so weird...what's the tittle of the book?

BANKL, HANS und HANS JESSERER, Die Krankheiten Ludwig van Beethovens. Pathographie eines Lebens und Pathologie seiner Leiden. Verlag Wilhelm Maudrich Wien-München-Berlin, 1987. ISBN 3-85175-453-0.

LADENBERGER, MICHAEL und SILKE BETTERMANN (eds.) Drei Begräbnisse und ein Todesfall. Beethovens Ende und die Erinnerungskultur seiner Zeit.
Beethoven Haus, Ausstellungskataloge Band 12, 2002. ISBN 3-88188-073-9

Both very interesting books are in German I'm afraid.