Syphilis and personality - which historical persons are suspected of a bad disease

As you know, neither genius nor merit to the fatherland and the people do not make a person invulnerable from ailments. Therefore, great personalities of different eras suffered from the most prosaic diseases. Some of them, especially loving, managed to catch very bad sores, for example, syphilis. Composers, writers, scientists, presidents and even tsars were equal before the pale treponema.

It is impossible to confidently assert that this or that historical person suffered from syphilis, for the prescription of years. Moreover, at all times this ailment was considered shameful and carefully concealed. But inquisitive scientists compare facts and make assumptions that are very likely to be true.

Scientists, having examined the remains of the Russian tsar, found two unusual things. They were struck by the teeth of the monarch and the high mercury content in his remains. Toxic metal was used in the 16th century in two cases — to kill someone or, conversely, to cure. At the same time, one thing did not exclude the other — the poisoners gradually poured mercury into the chambers, and the healers used the same mercury of the sovereign who felt unwell.

But the concentration of metal in the bones was very high. Therefore, experts were inclined to believe that Ivan IV had been treated for something with a popular remedy for years. Mercury in the Middle Ages was considered almost a panacea and recipes for its use can be found in all medical books. It was especially actively prescribed to those who had syphilis.

It is known that the Russian tsar, after the tragic death of his wife Anastasia, went on a terrible rampage. It was probably during this difficult period of his life that he picked up the indecent illness that was already widespread in Europe. The good old mercury was the only known drug for such cases.

Shakespeare suspiciously often mentions syphilis in his work. Therefore, researchers of the creativity and biography of the English classic suspected that he knew firsthand about the "French disease". Examining Shakespeare's manuscripts, scientists have noted that after 36 years his handwriting has noticeably deteriorated. It looked like the writer had a strong tremor in his hands.

Of course, the hands of a creative person can tremble not only from the defeat of the nerve endings with syphilis. But another argument in favor of this version were the portraits of the great Englishman. They often depict William Shakespeare with a sickly pale, sometimes even ashen complexion. Given that mercury was used no less actively in England than in Muscovy, certain conclusions can be drawn. Although these are just guesses.

Judging by the memoirs of contemporaries, the great German composer Beethoven was far from a blunder. He loved noisy companies, the society of women and brothels. In the 18th and 19th centuries, brothels were the main hotbeds of infection, so the chance to catch syphilis in them was huge.

In favor of the fact that Ludwig van Beethoven did not escape this fate, the fact that the composer lost his hearing early is often cited. In addition, he almost lost a finger that had been rotting for a long time. Already in our days, the remains of the great German were examined in the laboratory and a shock dose of lead was found in his hair.

It is worth saying that the era of mercury has passed along with the Dark Middle Ages. In Modern times, they were treated with advanced, but no less deadly metal in the form of powders, pills and ointments. Obviously, lead killed Beethoven, who left this world at the age of 57.

The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, had an impeccable reputation. All his life he lived with one spouse and was not seen in anything discrediting the honor of the family. But some biographers of the politician believe that he was not always like this. Perhaps, in his youth, Lincoln got involved with a certain lady who gave him syphilis.

Some people are sure that the president passed the disease on to his wife, who gave birth to four children, three of whom died. Such mortality may indicate congenital syphilis in infants. Lincoln himself died at the hands of an assassin, but his wife outlived her husband by 20 years. Apparently, she happened to live to the last, most destructive stage of the disease.

The father of the German philosopher died at a young age for an unknown reason. There is a possibility that it was syphilis that killed him, which was safely inherited by Friedrich. There is also a version that Nietzsche got a bad illness from his cousin, with whom he was in an affair.

For the last 20 years of his life, the philosopher suffered from a mental illness. It could also be a consequence of a neglected venereal disease. However, in the camp of Friedrich Nietzsche's biographers there are enough of those who indignantly reject the assumptions about the disease of genius. As an argument, they often cite the philosopher's apparent asexuality.

The French writer Guy de Maupassant was a real ladies' man. In his diaries, he mentions connections with 300 ladies! At the same time, he is the only one from our list whose syphilis is beyond doubt. The writer felt the first symptoms of the disease at the age of 25. At first he began to lose his hair, and then he began to suffer tearing pains in his bones and joints.

With bouts of pain, de Maupassant fought in the spirit of the 19th century, with the help of morphine. This eased the suffering, but finally destroyed his health and personality. The writer was tormented by nightmares and prolonged depression, and sometimes he behaved inappropriately.

He got into a vicious circle and gave himself one injection after another. The unfortunate man tried to commit suicide, but unsuccessfully. The author of wonderful romance novels ended his days in a psychiatric clinic, where his mother placed him. Guy de Maupassant was only 42 years old.

For the Chinese people, Mao Zedong is not just a leader and a great leader. He was considered a man of impeccable morality, almost a saint. But in life, the ruler of the Celestial Empire was not so righteous. It is well known that Mao loved women, and more than one hundred ladies passed through his bed.

At the same time, the leader had a lot of health-threatening oddities. He didn't like to wash and didn't brush his teeth, as "tigers don't do that." Mao was also afraid of doctors like fire and believed that they would quickly bring him to the grave. As a result, in his declining years, the Pilot of the Chinese people suffered from a whole bouquet of all kinds of ailments, among which were venereal.