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FRI-03 KIDNEY OR CONSPIRACY? WAS RENAL FAILURE THE CAUSE OF MOZART's DEATH? A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE COMPOSER's KNOWN ILLNESSES AND THEORIES SURROUNDING HIS DEATH.

2017; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 197; Issue: 4S Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.juro.2017.02.2468

1527-3792

Margaret Lyttle,

Climate Change and Health Impacts

You have accessJournal of UrologyHistory of Urology: History Forum1 Apr 2017FRI-03 KIDNEY OR CONSPIRACY? WAS RENAL FAILURE THE CAUSE OF MOZART's DEATH? A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE COMPOSER's KNOWN ILLNESSES AND THEORIES SURROUNDING HIS DEATH. Margaret Lyttle Margaret LyttleMargaret Lyttle More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2017.02.2468AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 to 1791) was a child prodigy and prodigious composer whose works remain popular today. His premature death at the age of 35 provoked many theories which are still debated. I aim to outline the theories surrounding Mozart′s early death. METHODS Literature review RESULTS Mozart had bouts of ill health starting in childhood and recurring throughout his life. This is unsurprising as at the time childhood mortality was high (only Mozart and his sister survived to adulthood of 7 siblings). Mozart′s recorded medical complaints include scarlet fever and an ulcerous molar (age 7). This complaint became chronic and troubled Mozart throughout his life. Aged 9 he almost died of abdominal typhus and aged 10 he contracted smallpox. He also suffered from articular rheumatism. In his early teens he suffered frostbite on both hands and his face. In 1784 the first of several attacks of renal colic was recorded. In the later years of his life he complained of severe headaches, nosebleeds, difficulty in concentrating and depression. Mozart became unwell in Prague on the 6th September 1791. His heath further declined on the 20th November with symptoms of pain and swelling in his limbs, headache, pyrexia and later vomiting and diarrhoea. The edema worsened and Mozart became bedridden and increasingly agitated. Delirium then coma followed before Mozart died on December 5th 1791. His death certificate records the cause of death as ″severe miliary fever″. A week after his death a newspaper published claims that he had been poisoned. Since then at least 118 causes of death have been suggested including rheumatic fever, streptococcal infection, vasculitis causing renal failure, acute glomerulonephritis, trichinosis, thyrotoxic crisis, influenza , infection following a bloodletting procedure, syphilis and mercury poisoning (either an accidental side effect of treatment for syphilis or murder). Various murder and conspiracy theories have been suggested. The accused include the royal band master Antonio Salieri, Mozart′s physician and friend Gottfried van Swieten or even Mozart′s Freemason lodge. There is, however, no historical evidence to support these claims. CONCLUSIONS Mozart′s grave has been lost so it seems unlikely that we will ever have a definitive answer to the mystery of his death. The most probable theory seems to be an acute exacerbation of chronic kidney disease causing uraemia, likely secondary to febrile illness. © 2017FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 197Issue 4SApril 2017Page: e1061 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2017MetricsAuthor Information Margaret Lyttle More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...