About his deafness

[twynlet]

I am learning sing language and need to find some things out about Beethoven's deafness. Does anyone know if he used sign language?

[lysander]

Beethoven most definitely did not use sign language. It was not invented then.

Deafness has a dual aspect.
Firstly there is an incapacity in the sufferer to hear the sounds of the every day world.
Secondly and conscequent upon that there is a corresponding failure of the sufferer to communicate by responding to those external stimuli.
Now, In Beethoven's time the study of deafness was in it's infancy.
Phycians thought that deafness like the medievals was caused by a general malady of the body and had no real specific knowledge of the working of the inner ear.
Therefore, Beethoven's so called treatment was primitive and the only aid he was given was an ear trumpet that something off an old phonograph which I think he soon lost patients with.
His seclusion from the world and it's sounds was almost total.
He could not therefore, cummunicate on that ground without the aid of written notes, which in a long conversation with friends proves tiresome and time consuming and which Beethoven, an impatient man at the best of times.
So the two parts of the deafness equation meant the Beethoven was profoundly affected in the most basic of human functions and particularly tragic for a great artist by what he suffered.
Sign language had not been invented and therefore, short of writing and ofcourse his music he had not other way of connecting with the world around him.

He had innate musical abilities of the highest order and the intellectual structures of music and composition were deeply internalized by him, of course we should never underestimate the terrible blow how he suffered. But the structures in his head meant that he composed without the need to hear specific notes.

[lysander]

Additional to the above I think British Sign Language was used in the 19th century.
But I am not certain if it was used in other countries.
In 1880, at a conference in Milan, a group of teachers working with deaf children-who believed the teaching of sign language was detrimental to the acquisition of spoken language- voted that sign language should no longer be taught in schools.
This decision affected several European countries.
In England it meant that only spoken and written English were taught, and that use of British Sign Language in schools were actively discouraged.
Sadly it meant that profoundly deaf children would leave school shool at 16 with an average reading age of a nine year old. From 1979, attitudes began to change and become more positive.
Somehow, I do not think Beethoven would have had the patience or the time to learn sign language.
I shall have to do a bit more research on European Sign Language.

I hope this is helpful.

[twynlet]

Thanks for the reply, that helped a lot. If you find out anything else please let me know.

[lysander]

You will find information on Beethoven's deafness on this site if you click on to the General button, under health and finances.

Beethoven's deafness began 1798 and he had lost about 60% of his hearing by 1801.
Hence, the despair in his famous Heiligenstadt testament, written in 1802.

An extract from this testament;-

Oh you men who think or say that I am malevolent, stubborn or misanthropic, how greatly do you wrong me. You do not know the secret cause which makes me seem that way to you.
From childhood my heart and soul have been full of the tender feeling of goodwill, and I was ever inclined to accomplish great things. But, think that for 6 years now I have been hopelessly afflicted, made worse by senseless physicians, from year to year deceived with hopes of improvement, finally compelled to faced the prospect of a lasting malady, whose cure will take years or, perhaps be impossible.


Dr. Wagner made the autopsy of Beethoven, March 27th, 1827.
Short extract;- The ear cartilage is of huge dimension and an irregular form.
The scaphoide dimple, above all the auricle, were vast and one and a half times the usual depth.

1986 studies have diagnosed "either neurolabyrinthitis or Otaspongiose"


You will probably have to consult your medical dictionary for the above medical terms.
Labyrinthitis I think is just the inner ear , and anything ending with 'itis' means inflamation.
Neuro of course, is to do with the nerves.
I am no specialist in this field.

Though I do assist at times in the Ear Nose and Throat Clinic, which I find fascinating.

[John Rasmussen]

I have never heard that Beethoven had any aids for his deafness except for the above-mentioned ear trumpet and a "conversation book," in which his friends would write comments or questions to which the master would respond. I understand the conversation books are fascinating.