An investigation into three pairs of famous author Jane Austen’s glasses has fed the theory that the Sense and Sensibility writer died because or arsenic poisoning.
Austen has many documented complaints about her eyesight near her death at 41-years-old which is one of the side effects of prolonged exposure to arsenic. The glasses which have been handed down from generation to generation have been tested to show that the three pairs of glasses that she used to read and write had dramatically different strengths.
While many may think that this would be a twist that wouldn’t be seen in an Austen book, the more logical reason may have been accidental. Arsenic was used in many different medicines and even in the water during Austen’s life. Through historical documents, it is suggested that she may have also taken an arsenic-laden medicine for her rheumatism.
The glasses have now been returned to the British Library where they were donated by Austen’s great-great-great-niece in 1999. They also have Austen’s portable writing desk, inkwell, and an embroidered glasses case.
The book The Mysterious Death of Jane Austen by Lindsay Ashford also theorises that Austen died of arsenic poisoning which is based on descriptions of the author’s unusual face pigmentation.