De ogen van Johann Sebastian Bach

- Limited vision seems to have been Johann Sebastian Bach’s (1685-1750) only physical problem. Myopia seems the most likely cause and he probably developed cataracts later in life. In addition to the cataracts, his worsening vision may have been due in part to some other eye problem. In 1750 Bach’s vision became so poor that he had his eyes operated on by the travelling English eye surgeon John Taylor. Most likely the first operation was Taylor’s standard couching procedure. About one week after the first operation, Bach was operated on again because of the reappearance of the cataract. Many painful and/or vision-reducing complications could have been induced by these intraocular operations: uveitis or endophthalmitis, secondary glaucoma, haemorrhage, retinal detachment, and even sympathetic ophthalmia. After the second operation Bach was blind. He died less than four months later.

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2005;149:2927-32