The death of famed British writer Jane Austen on July 18, 1817, at age 41, has always been a mystery.
Some have pointed to a rare illness or stomach cancer.
But in an article published Thursday, researchers from The British Library said they found new clues of possible arsenic poisoning.
After teaming up with London-based optometrist Simon Barnard, researchers at the library noted test results from three of Austen’s eyeglasses showed evidence of Austen’s deteriorating eyesight.
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According to Barnard, it’s possible Austen developed cataracts if she needed a stronger prescription over time.
After ruling out diabetes as a cause for cataracts (diabetes was fatal at that time), Barnard said a more likely cause would have been accidental poisoning from a heavy metal like arsenic, which is now known to cause cataracts.
Despite its toxicity, according to the article, arsenic was commonly found in some water supplies and medicines in 19th-century England.
The article noted limitations to the arsenic theory, one being that Austen may not have worn each of the eyeglasses. And it’s not known whether she had cataracts at all, though Austen wrote about her “weak” eyes in her letters.
Barnard's theory has received its share of criticism from optics experts since the library published the article.
Mark Blecher, a cataract and primary eye care expert, told Live Science that several conditions can cause cataracts in younger people, including genetic predispositions, trauma to the eye, diabetes and certain genetic conditions with enzyme deficiencies.
But arsenic poisoning is much farther down the list, and Barnard's hypothesis is just one of hundreds.
In addition to her "weak" eyes, Austen also complained of "bilious attacks, facial aches and fever" in her letters, according to the Washington Post.
Some experts believe Austen died of Addison's disease, a rare illness that stops the body from making critical hormones. Other experts have also noted the possibility of stomach cancer or Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
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