PMID: 9548576Apr 21, 1998Paper

Was Dom Perignon really blind?

Survey of Ophthalmology
J D BullockG H Bullock

Abstract

Many sources perpetuate the tripartite myth that Dom Perignon was the blind inventor of champagne, whose senses of taste and smell were enhanced by his loss of vision. This myth, however, is seemingly contradicted by historical fact. Not only do ancient references suggest that sparkling wine existed long before Perignon's time, but the making of champagne was a scientific process that required careful measuring, weighing, and record keeping, and it is unlikely that Perignon was blind when he was perfecting champagne. While the truth regarding Dom Perignon's blindness has disappeared during the more than two and a half centuries since his death, it is interesting to speculate why he may have lost vision at some stage of life. A brief history of Perignon's discovery of the secret of champagne and the blindness myth is traced, and a differential diagnosis is given, including cataracts, uncorrected refractive error, alcohol toxicity, and champagne-related ocular/cerebral trauma.

References

Jun 1, 1992·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·J P RauscheckerU Egert
Jan 1, 1995·Documenta Ophthalmologica. Advances in Ophthalmology·G B Bartley
Jun 1, 1993·Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology·K AlhoR Näätänen
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Feb 1, 1993·Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health·L WongC H Hwang
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Citations

Nov 16, 2013·European Archives of Oto-rhino-laryngology : Official Journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : Affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery·Jan Christoffer LuersMichael Damm
Feb 28, 2015·Science and Engineering Ethics·Sven Ove Hansson
Feb 9, 2007·Journal of Neurophysiology·Daniel GussinLeonard Maler

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