We finally know the cause of Voltaire's death

This article is taken from the monthly magazine Sciences et Avenir n°945, dated November 2025.

It wasn't prostate cancer that led Voltaire (1694-1778) to take high doses of opium to ease his pain in the weeks before his death, but bladder cancer. This research was led by Philippe Charlier, a forensic pathologist and paleopathologist at the University of Paris-Saclay.

Recurrent gallstones

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It was the detailed analysis of his embalmed heart, preserved at the National Library of France, that revealed a specific protein of the tumor – probably caused in his case by recurrent gallstones.

Now we know what Voltaire died of!
–
The study of his embalmed heart (preserved at the @GallicaBnF) and his autopsy report (unpublished, kept at @ArchivesnatFr), speak @LAAB_Labo, @CEAParisSaclay And @HopitalFoch You can discover it here: https://t.co/xUiRsd1DUm pic.twitter.com/1w8EF7uPBR

— Philippe Charlier (@doctroptard) September 29, 2025

Our previous articles on famous deaths:

• These scientists who died for science
• Why the suicide theory doesn't fit with Edgar Allan Poe's death
• The death of Caravaggio explained