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This Day in History: Famed mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, and alchemist Tycho Brahe died on this day in 1601 from a burst bladder.
He has been described as "the first competent mind in modern astronomy to feel ardently the passion for exact empirical facts". Most of his observations were more accurate than the best available observations at the time. He was so confident in his superiority as a mathematician that he entered into a sword duel with another man to end an argument as to who was the greatest Danish mathematician. Brahe was one of those alchemists that used that particular science to promote medicine. In his own time, Tycho was also famous for his contributions to medicine; his herbal medicines were in use as late as the 1900s.
However, despite all of this, Brahe is now best known for two things: Having no nose, and dying from refusing to urinate at a party.
The drunken duel he was engaged in resulted in the loss of his nose. From then on, he wore prosthetic noses...one of them being gold.
As to his death, Brahe contracted a bladder or kidney ailment after attending a banquet in Prague, and died eleven days later. According to Kepler's first-hand account, Brahe had refused to leave the banquet to relieve himself because it would have been a breach of etiquette. After he had returned home he was no longer able to urinate, except eventually in very small quantities and with excruciating pain.
His body was exhumed in 1901 and traces of mercury were found in his remains, fueling rumors that the astronomer was poisoned. In 2010, his body was exhumed again, only to find out that the mercury levels were too low to cause his death. So, Brahe did indeed die from not peeing when he should have.
Brahe also had a pet elk. His elk however reportedly died after drinking too much beer at dinner and then falling down some stairs.
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