An analysis of Jane Austen’s eyeglasses suggests she may have been poisoned with arsenic, says Sandra Tuppen, lead curator at the British Library.
The writer’s portable writing desk and its contents were recently entrusted to the British Library, which had the spectacles tested for the first time.
The speculation is based on an analysis of 3 pairs glasses believed to have belonged to Austen:
Wire-framed pair: R. + 1.75 DS L. +1.75 DS
Tortoiseshell pair A: R. + 3.25 DS L. +3.25 DS
Tortoiseshell pair B: R. +5.00/-0.25 x 84 L. +4.75/-0.25 x 49
It would appear she was hyperopic, and that her refractive error got progressively worse, possibly due to cataracts.
The researchers published these test results in the hope that other eye specialists will share their ideas and opinions with them.
London-based optometrist, Professor Simon Barnard, says it could also be an indication of a more serious underlying health problem. He points out that a likely cause of a gradually developing cataract is accidental poisoning with a heavy metal such as arsenic.
Arsenic was commonly found in medicines in 19thcentury England, and was in the water supply. Another possible cause for her cataracts is diabetes, but since diabetes was fatal at that time, life spans may not have been long enough to require several successive prescriptions.
Crime writer Lindsay Ashford also floated the idea of arsenic poising in 2011, when she came across Austen’s description of an unusual facial pigmentation she developed at the end of her life, a common indication of arsenic poisoning.
The spectacles are currently on display at the British Library’s free Treasures Gallery.