Flipping through one of my newly acquired hard copy Fritz bios that I can't read, I am reminded that by this age, he had gout not only in his toes (where he'd been plagued by gout flare-ups since at least his forties) but also his fingers, which I'm sure affected his flute-playing even if he could still write voluminously most days. So between the asthma, the gout, and the teeth falling out, yeah, he couldn't play any more. :-(( I'm also sure having these problems (plus many, many others) *and* not being able to play the flute did his mood no good either.
Tangentially, this same bio (Asprey) gives the first plausible explanation of the peppercorns & mustard in the coffee that I've seen: they were meant to be medicinal. I had this total AHA and also DUH moment when I read that. Fritz always spent a lot of time thinking about his physical problems, had strong opinions on medical matters, and frequently tried to apply his own cures to himself (and suggest them to other people), irrespective of professional opinions. Spicing up his coffee (especially since he liked spicy food in general) makes so much sense as an 18th century medical treatment I can't believe this is the first time I've encountered this explanation. (It's kind of tragicomic watching biographer after biographer give Fritz a hard time about thinking he knew better than his doctors, and occasionally be forced to admit that while he wasn't often right, he wasn't necessarily better off listening to the professionals either, because this was the EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.)
I would still like to see documentary evidence that it was intended medicinally, but I always want to see documentary evidence, and I rarely get it, which is why biographies are basically novels in my mind.
Anyway, it makes enough sense that I guess I have to stop teasing him about his absurd tastes and possible bravado (which I did affectionately and admiringly, as someone with some absurd tastes and occasional bravado myself).
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Re: Royal obsessions
Date: 2019-10-01 07:27 pm (UTC)Tangentially, this same bio (Asprey) gives the first plausible explanation of the peppercorns & mustard in the coffee that I've seen: they were meant to be medicinal. I had this total AHA and also DUH moment when I read that. Fritz always spent a lot of time thinking about his physical problems, had strong opinions on medical matters, and frequently tried to apply his own cures to himself (and suggest them to other people), irrespective of professional opinions. Spicing up his coffee (especially since he liked spicy food in general) makes so much sense as an 18th century medical treatment I can't believe this is the first time I've encountered this explanation. (It's kind of tragicomic watching biographer after biographer give Fritz a hard time about thinking he knew better than his doctors, and occasionally be forced to admit that while he wasn't often right, he wasn't necessarily better off listening to the professionals either, because this was the EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.)
I would still like to see documentary evidence that it was intended medicinally, but I always want to see documentary evidence, and I rarely get it, which is why biographies are basically novels in my mind.
Anyway, it makes enough sense that I guess I have to stop teasing him about his absurd tastes and possible bravado (which I did affectionately and admiringly, as someone with some absurd tastes and occasional bravado myself).