Jane Austen died because of arsenic poisoning? Probably not

The renowned writer Jane Austen is known for her wit and unexpected twists of the plot, but the cause of her death may be more like a fairy tale than all her stories.

It is possible that the death of a British writer, author of such novels as "Pride and Prejudice" and "Mind and Feelings," came as a result of arsenic poisoning, which also caused the development of cataracts, at a rather early age (41 years) - so say the researchers In the British Library.

Nevertheless, this idea is not tested and is only one of the latest in a series of hypotheses about how Jane Austen died. "It's 100 percent pure speculation," said Dr. Mark Bleacher, a surgeon for primary eye care at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, who did not participate in the study.

How did the hypothesis of arsenic poisoning

The idea of arsenic poisoning took root after researchers analyzed three pairs of reading glasses supposedly owned by Jane Austen. When the author died in 1817, her sister Cassandra inherited her portable writing desk. The family kept it until 1999, when he was transferred to the care of the British Library, according to a blog post published March 9 by Sandra Tuppen, the leading curator of the archives and manuscripts of this organization.

After the library acquired the table, she gained access to its contents, including the three pairs of glasses that were reportedly owned by Jane Austen. To learn more about these glasses, they were given to the studied companies Birmingham Optical, which did the analysis using an instrument called the Lensmeter.

All glasses had bulging lenses that showed that Jane Austen suffered from hyperopia, and she needed glasses for such activities, for example, as reading. Interestingly, three pairs of glasses - one in wire frame and two in tortoiseshell - had different lenses.

The very presence of glasses was not a surprise: Jane Austen complained about his "weak" eyes in several letters. But lenses with varying degrees of magnification gave Simon Barnard, the London eye doctor who examined glasses, an interesting idea. Perhaps Austin's vision was deteriorating because she had arsenic poisoning.

Effects of arsenic

People are aware of the toxic effects of arsenic, a crystalline metalloid that is contained in the earth's crust - from Roman times. It is associated with a number of health problems, including skin, lung, bladder, kidney and liver cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health. The effect of arsenic is also associated with the development of cataracts - the clouding of the lens of the eye.

Nevertheless, in England in the 19th century, arsenic was used as a "medicine" for water supply systems. It was also used as a poison.

Cataract provoked by arsenic?

Cataract develops when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy and less flexible. More than 90 percent of people have cataract after 65 years, according to the Eye Center of the University of Michigan.

However, it is not known whether Jane Austen really had a cataract. Perhaps she used three sets of glasses for various activities: one pair for remote view; Another, a little stronger, for reading; And the third, the strongest, for small work, such as fine embroidery, "said Barnard.

But if Jane Austen has developed cataract, the more likely cause, according to Professor Barnard, is accidental poisoning with heavy metals such as arsenic.

What Causes Cataracts

Nevertheless, Blacher doubts that the explanation with arsenic is really true. There are a number of other conditions that can cause cataract in young people - genetic predisposition, eye injuries, diabetes and some genetic diseases. Therefore, chronic arsenic poisoning is not in the first place of this list.

In some regions of the world, where there is arsenic in drinking water, there is a higher incidence of cataract development. Arsenic accumulates in the lens of the eye more than in any other part of it. And it is for this reason that he is associated with a higher incidence of cataracts.

In addition, in most cases, cataracts do not cause changes, as a result of which the prescription of glasses should be adjusted. When a cataract develops, it usually increases the need for glasses that can be seen from a distance. However, it is not clear in which sequence of Jane Austen glasses were written out.

Possible causes of death Jane Austen

Thus, the mystery of the death of Austin still remains unsolved. Other experts linked her death with Addison's disease (endocrine disorder), as well as cancer and tuberculosis. Interestingly, writer Lindsay Ashford supported the idea of arsenic poisoning in 2011 after she learned that Jane Austen had an unusual pigmentation of a person that can be attributed to the effects of arsenic poisoning.

Warning

A new theory associated with glasses provides additional support for the idea of arsenic poisoning, but the library noted an important warning. It is possible that Jane Austen did not write prescription glasses, but chose ready, even if they did not fully match her vision. Thus, the library implies that one should not attach too much importance to discrepancies in recipes.

Points of a famous writer can be seen at the exhibition of the British Library.