High levels of lead detected in authenticated locks of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair suggest that the composer had lead poisoning, which may have contributed to ailments he endured over the course of his life, including deafness, according to new research. In addition to hearing loss, the famed classical composer had recurring gastrointestinal complaints throughout his life, experienced two attacks of jaundice and faced severe liver disease. It is believed that Beethoven died from liver and kidney disease at age 56. But the process of understanding what caused his many health problems has been a much more complicated puzzle, one that even Beethoven himself hoped doctors could eventually solve. The composer expressed his wish that his ailments be studied and shared so “as far as possible at least the world will be reconciled to me after my death.” An international team of researchers set out nearly a decade ago to partially fulfill Beethoven’s wish by studying locks of his hair. Using DNA analysis, the team determined which ones truly belonged to the composer and which were fraudulent, and sequenced Beethoven’s genome by analyzing his authenticated locks. The findings, published in a March 2023 report, revealed that Beethoven had significant genetic risk factors for liver disease and a hepatitis B infection before his death. But the results didn’t provide any insights into the underlying causes of his deafness, which began in his 20s, or his gastrointestinal issues. Beethoven’s genome was made publicly available, inviting researchers around the world to investigate lingering questions about Beethoven’s health. Meanwhile, scientists continue to figuratively go over the authenticated locks of Beethoven’s hair with a fine-tooth comb, teasing out surprising insights. In addition to high concentrations of lead, the latest findings showed arsenic and mercury that remain trapped in the composer’s strands nearly 200 years after his death, according to a new letter published Monday in the journal Clinical Chemistry. And the insights could provide new windows not only into understanding Beethoven’s chronic health ailments, but the complicated nuances of his life as a composer. A tangled web reveals lead Christian Reiter, now the retired deputy director of the Center of Forensic Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna, had previously studied the Hiller Lock, a sample of hair long attributed to Beethoven. He authored and published a 2007 paper after determining there were high levels of lead in the hair, and suggested the lead may have contributed to the composer’s deafness, and potentially his death. In a twist, the 2023 genomic sequencing study uncovered that the Hiller Lock did not belong to Beethoven, and it was actually a hair sample from a woman. But at the time the researchers did not test Beethoven’s newly authenticated hair samples for lead. So the question remained: Did Beethoven have lead poisoning? A separate research team used two different methods to search for evidence of lead in two authenticated locks of Beethoven’s hair: the Bermann lock, estimated to have been cut between late 1820 and March 1827, and the Halm-Thayer lock, which Beethoven hand-delivered to pianist Anton Halm in April 1826. It was very common during Beethoven’s lifetime for people to collect and keep locks of hair from loved ones or famous people, said William Meredith, Beethoven scholar and study coauthor of the 2023 genomic analysis and the latest study. The newer research detected incredibly high levels of lead in both samples: 64 times the expected level in the Bermann Lock, and 95 times the expected level in the Halm-Thayer lock. “These levels are considered as lead poisoning,” said lead study author Nader Rifai, professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School and director of clinical chemistry at Boston Children’s Hospital. “If you walk into any emergency room in the United States with these levels, you will be admitted immediately and you will undergo chellation therapy.” A statue of Ludwig van Beethoven stands outside the opera house in Hannover, Germany on Monday, Aug. 31, 2009. (Joerg Sarbach / AP Photo, File) Diagnosing Beethoven Elevated lead levels such as those detected in Beethoven’s hair “are commonly associated with gastrointestinal and renal ailments and decreased hearing but are not considered high enough to be the sole cause of death,” the study authors wrote. Because the researchers don’t have hair samples from earlier in Beethoven’s life, it’s impossible to understand when the lead poisoning started, Meredith said. The study authors do not believe the lead poisoning was solely responsible for Beethoven’s death or deafness. But he experienced symptoms of lead poisoning throughout his life, including hearing loss, muscle cramps and renal abnormalities, Rifai said. Both locks also contained increased levels of arsenic and mercury, about 13 to 14 times the expected amount, according to the study. Study coauthor Paul Jannetto, associate professor in the department of laboratory medicine and pathology and laboratory director at the Mayo Clinic, carried out the analysis of the samples and said he’d never seen such high lead levels. But Rifai said he saw comparable lead levels when he conducted research in two villages in Ecuador where the main trade is to glaze tiles with lead from batteries. The villagers experienced mental delays, hearing loss and hematological abnormalities, which are common in liver disease, he said. Lead exposure in Beethoven’s lifetime Currently, there is no understanding of the average amount of lead in the bodies of people like Beethoven who were living in Vienna during the 19th century, Rifai said. He said he hopes to access old locks of hair people have from their families to determine the baseline level of the population at the time since there is no documentation. But how did Beethoven end up with so much lead, as well as arsenic and mercury, in his body? The substances likely accumulated over decades of the composer’s life through food and drink, Rifai said. Beethoven was known to favor wine, sometimes drinking a bottle a day, and he drank plumbed wine. A common practice dating back at least 2,000 years, the creation of plumbed wine involves adding lead acetate as a sweetener and preservative, Rifai said. At the time, lead was also used in glassmaking to give glassware a more clear and appealing appearance. Beethoven also loved to eat fish, and at the time, the Danube River was a great source of industry, meaning waste ended up in the same river that was a source of fish caught for consumption — and that fish likely contained arsenic and mercury, Rifai said. The report marks the first time lead levels have been established for Beethoven and points to another possible cause for Beethoven’s kidney failure in the months before his death and the liver failure he experienced at the end of his life, Meredith said. Lead poisoning appears to be the fourth factor that contributed to his liver failure, apart from genes that predisposed Beethoven toward liver disease, his hepatitis B infection and his penchant for drinking alcohol, Meredith said. Linking Beethoven’s health and music The composer wrote a letter to his brothers in 1802 asking that his doctor, Johann Adam Schmidt, determine and share the nature of his “illness” once Beethoven died. The letter is known as the Heiligenstadt Testament. But the documents kept by Beethoven’s favorite doctor, who died 18 years before his patient, have been lost. In the 1802 letter to his brothers, Beethoven admitted how hopeless he felt as a music composer struggling with hearing loss, but his work kept him from taking his own life. He said he didn’t want to leave “before I had produced all the works that I felt the urge to compose.” “People say, ‘the music is the music, why do we need to know about any of this stuff?’ But in Beethoven’s life, there is a connection between his suffering and the music,” Meredith said. May 7 marked the 200th anniversary of the first performance of Beethoven’s famed Ninth Symphony, largely regarded as his greatest work and his final symphony. Completely deaf at the time, Beethoven was onstage as one of the conductors, but the orchestra was instructed to follow the conducting of Beethoven’s friend, who was also onstage. The concert marked one of the most triumphant moments in Beethoven’s life, and the female singers turned him to face the crowd as they clapped and waved their handkerchiefs at the beloved musician, Meredith said. But at the end of the night, Beethoven gathered with three of his friends who helped him organize the concert. What first seemed like a dinner to reward his friends actually resulted in Beethoven yelling and accusing them of cheating him out of money. The outburst was ironic, considering that Beethoven had been inspired as he worked on the Ninth Symphony in part by Friedrich Schiller’s poem “Ode to Joy,” and the concluding themes of the symphony include living in peace and harmony with one another, Meredith said. But above one sketch Beethoven did for the Ninth Symphony, he included the French word for despair. “When you look back at his life, it’s a life that is so full of despair. He went deaf. He never found a woman that he could settle down to love. He had terrible abdominal problems ever since he was a child. He really had a hard time sustaining relationships with people,” Meredith said. “If you understand how much pain he was in and the paranoia he experienced from the deafness, it makes that whole story of the Ninth Symphony much more complex.”

For 72 years, the Miss Universe Canada pageant was limited to women between the ages of 18 and 28.

This year that rule has been lifted to allow women over the age of 28 to compete. It was news Lorraine Peters, born in St. Stephen, N.B., had been waiting her entire life for, and at the age of 58 she is gearing up to compete in the national event with plans on winning.

“It was almost like something that I always knew was going to happen had happened,” said Peters upon learning she had been selected as one of the 64 women across the country to compete for the title of Miss Universe Canada 2024.

Peters, who now resides in Rothesay, N.B., has been competing in pageants since she was 15 years old, with multiple wins under her belt. She is the first women over the age of 28 to compete in the contest, where she plans to use the platform to spread her message.

“Which is to have the courage, and the confidence to pursue whatever you want,” Peters says. “And age has nothing to do with that.”

She says pageants are much more than just the evening gown and bathing suit catwalks, noting the most critical part of the week-long pageant (beginning on July 20) is the personality interview. Peters will have to be prepared to answer questions on just about any topic ranging from pop-culture to what is her favourite pizza and why.

Peters has been spending a few hours each day preparing herself for anything that may come her way. Her wisdom, energy, and high level of enthusiasm she says she brings to the table will be a great benefit to the younger girls competing, and she is ready to break barriers on a national stage.

“Older women can’t allow themselves to be relegated to the shadows,” Peters says. “Being made to feel like you’re not worthy, you’re not of the moment, you have nothing of this day and age to add, and that you’re value is diminished because of your age, all of which are just fundamentally untrue.

“I really want to be that voice that can make women of any age really just look and go, ‘OK, alright, I get this.’”

Her son Ryan Gilmore believes his mother has a great shot at the upcoming event. He says she is one of the best representatives Miss Universe Canada has, and is looking forward to seeing her prove why age is just a number.

“It’s going to bring a different dynamic to the entire overall atmosphere to the event,” Gilmore says. “And there is no one better to spread a message of don’t give up and keep pushing no matter what than my mother.”

Maria Giorlando is an online pageant coach who has worked with Peters in the past. She says the fact Peters has qualified for the event is proof that leaders can come in all shapes and sizes.

“Our entire world, our country, will be so much better when women realize that they have a story to share, and they have people they can impact across all ages,” says Giorlando.

She believes Peters will be an inspiration to not only woman over 28 who have a desire to compete in pageants, but woman who want to go into any career or field that were previously discouraged by “social norms.”

“The only barriers they set are the ones they put on themselves,” Giorlando says. “Rules are changing all the time, our world is evolving, the pageant industry is moving forward and you don’t want to be last to do all those things. We get to be first and if somebody has not set out to do that is your sign to be the first person to go and do it. That’s exactly what Lorraine is doing.”

Her current coach Ally Bowen is the owner of Fit to Sparkle Queens. She says Peters is a joy to work alongside and a true professional when it comes to pageant preparation.

Like Giorlando, Bowen also believes Peters will empower other women who may be scared or second-guessing that they can do something like this at a later stage in life.

“I think what she is saying is, ‘Come on, ladies, we live once,’” says Bowen. “So why not live out those dreams or take those chances or even if for you, you feel like it’s a risk to do it because of what others might think or others might say, it’s still worth you doing it.”

Bowen also notes contestants often talk about things they would like to do and achieve in life.

“With Lorraine being at that stage of life that she is in she has met a lot of her goals,” Bowen says. “She’s been able to bring to the table a lot of wisdom and history for the success that she has had, obstacles she has had to overcome, and just how I do believe she is going to be the face of a new modern women.”

Which is a big part of what Peters is hoping to achieve by going to the Miss Universe Canada 2024 pageant, and hopefully winning and representing Canada at the Miss Universe Pageant this November in Mexico.

“It is going to just expand my ability to reach a broader audience of women,” says Peters. “So that I can continue to talk to them about having the courage to do hard things, and building the skills of resilience and confidence that they never ever quit on their goals, ambitions, and dreams.

The finals take place on July 27 in Windsor, ON, a day before Peters celebrates her 59th birthday, hopefully with a brand new crown atop her head.

For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.

Some people love to wash their car, and for others, it’s their most hated chore. It’s a necessity for car owners, so no matter where you fall on the love-hate spectrum, you want a car wash that’s going to give your car a deep clean that lasts. Automatic car washes are at almost any gas…

  When you take your car to the car wash, there are multiple add-ons available, and one common choice is spray-on wax. It may seem like it doesn’t make a difference, but there are some important benefits. And these benefits go beyond how shiny your will car looks. What Are the Benefits of Waxing Your…

Even when you are lucky enough to start with an empty room, it can be overwhelming to design an interior that you can enjoy for years to come. Following some basic interior design principles, you can transform your space into a relaxing room you will be comfortable and happy with. Decide what your focal point will be and build out from there.  For best results, keep proportion and scale in mind as you decorate as well as these tips!

 Deciding on Your Focal Point
Do you have a magnificent bay window with an incredible view?  Is there an ornate mantle that is the reason you fell in love with your home? Or is there something you absolutely MUST HAVE in the room? Situate your furniture around your chosen focal point to create balance and equilibrium. If your room does not already have an existing focal point, create one with oversized art or add an accent point like a free-standing fireplace, they come in a variety of sizes and styles. Symmetrically balance the room evenly so that both sides mirror one another.  This will help your chosen focal point stand out all the more! Use matching accent tables to flank your sofa or use different pieces of furniture to create a copacetic visual impact, like two similar armchairs to balance a sofa.
Repetition for Rhythm
Rhythm creates a flow and helps direct the eye to the differing visual elements in your room. Just as the notes of a favorite song repeat to create the rhythm, repetition in decor will create a rhythm throughout a home. Establish visual interests with a rhythm throughout your space by placing similar colours or patterns at intervals and repeat in artwork, cushions or area rugs.

Perfect Proportion and Suitable Scaling
Who doesn’t love a large, overstuffed chair? But if your room is on the smaller size it may look out of place and make your room seem even smaller than it is. Keep proportion in perspective. Proportion is the ratio between a piece of furniture and the size of a room. Scale is the size of a piece of furniture in relation to the other pieces of furniture in the room. A super large chair will overpower an apartment of loft size sofa or loveseat and create a sense of unbalance in the room.

Have your room humming harmoniously
Creating harmony will enhance how much you will continue to love your finished. Pull the room with a subdued colour palette for a pleasing, harmonious vibe.   together for a pleasing, harmonious look with a subdued color palette. You can also use a single colour for elements that vary in size and shape. Check out our blog on Doing White on White Right! for more tips!

What is the focal point in your room?  What is your best tip to find harmony and balance through your home?