Member-only story
The Quack Doctor Who Blinded 2 Of The Most Famous Composers In History
A British physician was much more successful promoting himself than he was curing the eye ailments of his patients in the 18th century — including two very famous composers
The 18th century was a high point for the number of supremely talented composers who lived and worked during the century. Two of the most famous of these musicians, George Friedrich Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach, each suffered blindness that was caused or exacerbated by the actions of a quack doctor and charlatan named John Taylor.
Born around 1703 in Norwich, England, Taylor was the son of a surgeon by the same name. The young man went into the family business, studying with William Cheselden, a leading British surgeon of the time, at St. Thomas’ Hospital. The veteran physician specialized in gallstones, but had developed a growing interest in cataracts, which he shared with his student. Becoming especially interested in eyes himself, Taylor published a book in 1727 titled An Account of the Mechanism of the Eye, in which he penned a dedication to his mentor.
Taylor began practicing as a surgeon, but quickly discovered that opening an office in his hometown was going to be a slow go of it…
