Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the most brilliant composers to ever live and has a special place in the minds of many pathologists, embodying the spirit of the Latin phrase “Mortui Vivos Docent” or “The dead teach the living.” Beethoven requested his own autopsy 25 years prior to his untimely death in 1827, during a time in which autopsy was still a taboo practice, proving himself to be ahead of his time not only in music composition, but in medical science.

#Beethoven #rokitansky #liver #victorianmedicine #cirrhosis #pagetsdisease #leadpoisoning #autopsy #composer #opera #thedeadteachtheliving #HeiligenstadtTestament

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For any questions for Dr. Wolfe or submissions for Q&A episodes, please email producer Jessie Bones at [email protected]