(VNN) Letter by (author's name withheld on request):
"(author) was in Vrindavan and often in Prabhupada's room during his last days.
As far as someone poisoning Prabhupada, I don't know. I did hear him say something to that effect but remember that he was about 80 lbs when he died and was in excruciating pain. Although for someone in his condition he was unbelievably calm, pain can make a person say just about anything. There was no doubt that the man was suffering intensely not only in body but in spirit too.
His doctor was a very kind man who in my estimation would not ever harm the hair on anyone's head and he predicted to the second when Prabhupada would die so I think he would be aware of anyone poisoning him. Has anyone contacted him? He wasn't that old then and could be still alive.
One thing that crosses my mind is that the cause of death given at the time was kidney failure due to an untreated diabetic condition. I know that kidney failure causes one's body to blow up like a balloon legs first. I didn't see that with Prabhupada. He really exhibited the symptoms of severe mercury poisoning. He was so emaciated that I couldn't believe he could hold on as long as he did. His limbs and muscles would spasm and when I touched him, he was cool and clammy sometimes and hot and dry at others. His muscle pains were severe and required constant massage. I'm no doctor and realize that his symptoms could have been caused by a myriad of things. The way he looked when he died brought the victims of the Minamata mercury spill to mind.
Narayana Maharaja was there and he had a calming influence. They consulted in Hindi and Bengali and the only thing that I remember hearing was that Prabhupada said, "I created a monster but it's too late to do anything about it." Narayana Maharaja told him not to worry, that he had done his best and now it was Mahaprabhu's responsibility. Has anyone asked Narayana Maharaja what his opinion is about the poisoning theory?"