DID YOU KNOW…
The 'Madness-Inducing' Musical Instrument Invented by Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin, known for kites and bifocals, also invented a musical instrument called the glass harmonica, which was once controversially linked to madness and melancholy among its players and listeners.
Franklin debuted his innovative instrument in 1761, improving upon the existing 'musical glasses' by mounting a series of glass bowls coaxially on a rotating spindle, played by moistening fingertips. While popular in its time, particularly in the late 18th century, some physicians and music critics began to attribute nervous disorders, depression, and even madness to its ethereal tones. They theorized that the instrument's haunting sounds, which were said to penetrate the body directly, could disrupt the nervous system, leading to its eventual decline in popularity despite its beauty.
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