The urinary bladder

Aaron Levere Staff

Tycho Brahe was an iconoclastic astronomer and astrologist, alternately famed and notorious throughout Europe in the late 15th century for his various scientific and “scientific” work. His accurate observation and recording of planetary orbits were unprecedented, and from them he proposed the first model whereby planets (though not the Earth) revolved around the sun. On the other hand, court mathematician to the Austrian court also attempted to make astrological weather predictions based on his nightly observations, had a prosthetic nose made of copper, and a pet elk that died by getting drunk and falling down a set of stairs.

A fascinating life, to be sure, yet one entirely unknown to me until recently, when I witnessed a presentation on the life of Tycho that should change the pedagogy of astronomy forever. (It included a duel and fake blood).

Fascinating as it was, the entire presentation was overshadowed by the question of Tycho’s mysterious death. In 1601, Tycho was at a royal banquet where it was strictly against the protocol of the court that anyone should leave the table before His Imperial Highness, the Austrian Emperor. Already in poor health, Tycho was forced to hold his pee for an extended period of time and, a few days later, died from the additional strain on his body. (Tycho was succeeded by his assistant, Johannes Kepler, who assumed the duty of providing the Emperor with his daily horoscope.)

Recent examinations of Tycho’s remains have shown that he more likely died from poisoning, due to the massive amounts of mercury found on his hair, but this still leaves a disturbing question unanswered. All this time, it was still thought to be possible that Tycho died from “holding it” for too long. A haunting thought. Tycho Brahe, and even Kepler, despite their contributions to science, have left us pondering the questions that really matter:

How long is too long? At what point does social dignity become fatal? Will holding my pee kill me?

A human urinary bladder is a muscular sac nestled neatly inside the pelvis. It is basically an expandable pouch for storing urine until it is set free on the wind. The kidneys maintain the necessary balance of water and nutrients in the body, and any excesses or waste products are extracted from the blood and expelled as urine. Pee is usually 95 - 96 per cent water. The waste products are generally nitrogen-based byproducts from digesting protein.

On New Year’s Day I went to the hospital after hitting a tree. I had a pee test to check for kidney damage. My kidneys are fine, but the nurse was startled by the high levels of ketones in my urine. I learned that this is caused by drinking heavily, not eating enough or expending more energy than is taken in — all of which were true, in my case. Ketones appear in the urine when fatty tissue is breaking down due to the absence of any other nutrients.

A steady flow of urine trickles from the kidneys into the bladder, day and night. When the bladder is getting full, this compresses its muscular inner walls, which sends a signal to the hypothalamus gland in the brain, provoking the joyous utterance, “I gotta pee!” People who are nervous might also feel the need to pee, though this is caused by the tension in the body, which tightens the bladder muscles.

The bladder typically holds just under a litre of urine, about 900 millilitres, though the urge to pee is first felt when the bladder is about half full (or half empty, if you are an optimist). For people who are sober, conscious and grown-up, it is difficult to pee unintentionally. The muscle that unleashes the flow is hardwired to the brain, so that you normally only pee when you mean it. However, people who are elderly or physically weakened become incontinent when the muscles of the bladder tire out. And people in stressful situations have also been known to spring a leak.

So imagine the scene in the Austrian court. You’ve had too much wine. The Emperor is going on and on about his latest decrees or conquests or something. And you haven’t the foggiest idea where your elk has got to. None of this matters to you anymore, though, because meanwhile, your legs are twisted into a half-hitch under your chair, your fists are clenched around the nozzle, sweat is not just dripping, but leaping off of your brow like in cartoons and the servants keep refilling your jewelled goblet. However, let’s not forget that you are also not feeling well, comparatively aged and seen as a bit of an eccentric anyway. It seems perfectly forgivable to just let it go. Surely a man of science such as Tycho Brahe would have been smart enough to see this and did not die from having to pee.

This does not answer the question, will holding your pee kill you?

In the name of good journalism, I recently tied up the Health Services line for half an hour one evening while the nurse, also intrigued, went to look up whether or not you can die from not peeing. Meanwhile I listened to half an hour of the smoothest of smooooooth jazz. The answer: “I don’t think so, unless you’re already sick.” Helpful information, but not enough to allay my worst fears.

Short of a sadistic home experiment, it looks like there is only one way to find out the answer for absolute sure. Tycho Brahe was born on December 14, which makes him a Sagittarius. According to astrology.com:

Sagittarius - The sizzle you generate right now could fuel a power plant — or two. It’s so very exciting, especially when your flirty sense of style attracts attention from some very unexpected quarters.

So there you have it. Let this be a lesson to you all.