Whilst it is true that Napoleon showed himself to be resilient, nevertheless throughout his life he suffered from various ailments, some of which were inconvenient and others serious.
In his youth, it would appear that he contracted malaria, forcing him into hospital in the spring of 1790. Bouts of the disease recurred at least until the Italian Campaign in 1796. At that same period, he developped a skin condition (some people say it was scabies) that was so itchy his scratching would draw blood. And at least twice (in 1799 and 1809), this developed into scabs. Like most riders, he also suffered from piles. Finally, Talleyrand said that during one of their meetings in Strasbourg in 1805 Napoleon had a kind of epileptic fit. And, during a very private rendezvous, one of his mistresses (Mademoiselle George) reported a similar occurrence. However, such episodes were not mentioned on any other occasion, and the fact they were only reported by these two witnesses may cast doubt on their authenticity.
With age – and by then he had become quite portly -, the first symptoms of a more significant deterioration in his health were to appear. During the Russian campaign, his doctors noted a continuous dry cough, difficult breathing, irregular pulse, and swollen feet and ankles. In addition, in Moscow, he suffered from persistent dysuria (difficulty urinating) causing him to appear almost haggard for several days. Despite his activities and energy during the trials that were to follow, he continued to suffer from these afflictions. At the Battle of Waterloo, he was very ill and was barely able to ride his horse for the day.
As for his abdomen, the site of the disease that would finish him, it had always been sensitive, with a pain on the right side in particular, sometimes accompanied by “stomach convulsions”.