Tycho Brahe's death

[mattlistener]

Have you heard the story of the death of Tycho Brahe? That out of courtesy or pride he didn't leave a banquet table to urinate and his bladder burst, causing his death a few days later?

I just learned that in 1996 forensic and historical analysis concluded that while Brahe had a disorder of the urinary system (probably prostatic hypertrophy), he actually died of mercury poisoning, most likely from the mercury in his home-brewed medicines.

(The above link was the #1 result to a google search on "astronomer bladder".)

Comments

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

This is fascnating. I'm really glad you posted this link.

[mattlistener.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[laurens10.livejournal.com]

Wow.

Though I bet the banquet story won't die anytime soon. It has a moral afterall. One much more compelling than "don't eat the mercury". ;)

[mattlistener.livejournal.com]

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<giggle!>

[zmook.livejournal.com]

It seems clear to me that the real question here is:

Why were you searching on "astronomer bladder"?

Of course, the explanations that pope to mind are all immediately followed by "I don't want to know."

:-)

[mattlistener.livejournal.com]

For my part, I don't want to know what the explanation is of things that "pope to mind". :-)

(I knew the story of Brahe's death, and I was looking for documentation thereof.)

[mattlistener.livejournal.com]

(...and of course I couldn't remember his name when I first did the search.)