COPENHAGEN, Denmark—Napoleon Bonaparte died from complications of kidney disease, not from being poisoned by his enemies or stomach cancer, suggests a book that was released May 4.
In the book, “Napoleon’s Nyrer (Napoleon’s Kidneys),” retired Danish nephrologist Arne W. S. Sørensen studied numerous sources—such as Napoleon’s diary, autopsy reports and family statements—and argues that Napoleon suffered from kidney disease most of his life.
The book’s publishers are working on an English-language version of the book, according to The Copenhagen Post.
Napoleon became Emperor of France in 1804 and controlled most of Europe during his reign. After defeat in 1814, he was exiled to the island of Elba, but he was back in power less than a year later after escaping. However, after the being defeated at the Battle of Waterloo he was permanently exiled to the island of Saint Helena, where he died in 1815.
Rumors about how he died have swirled ever since then. The most popular theory was that he was slowly poisoned with arsenic by his enemies. The original autopsy, though, claimed he died of stomach cancer, which was supported by a 2007 study.
A 2008 study, however, studied Napoleon’s hair samples and found high levels of arsenic, but ruled out poisoning and concluded that people at that time were often exposed to arsenic from glues and dyes.
Sørensen doesn’t deny the high arsenic levels, but argues that kidney failure was the cause of his death. According to a report from The Copenhagen Post, Sørensen links Napoleon’s weight gain and his famous temper to his kidney problems. He also pointed out that Napoleon had to lean against army cannons for nearly 30 minutes trying to urinate.
"From a young age, Napoleon suffered chronic shrinking around his urinary canal, chronic infections in his withered bladder, a kidney illness and obstructive nephropathy that led to deadly complications," Sørensen told Agence France-Presse. "He had pain urinating for a long time, to the point that one day he said: 'it will kill me.'"
