Napoleon not Poisoned, Scientists Find

[Dark Knight]

From The Daily Telegraph

Bald truth exposed about 'poisoning' of Napoleon
By Philip Delves Broughton in Paris
(Filed: 29/10/2002)

The persistent suggestion that Napoleon was murdered by his British captors has finally been laid to rest - by the French themselves.

High concentrations of arsenic found in the emperor's hair were not the result of poisoning but, most likely, pomade or hair restorer.

Napoleon died in exile on the south Atlantic island of St Helena in 1821, aged 51.

Some historians claim that the British tired of keeping him and killed him, switching his body with that of his butler to conceal what they had done, while the French conspired in the plot for the good of diplomatic relations.

Count Charles de Montholon, who accompanied the Corsican into exile, has been named as a suspect, while some people think he is buried under Westminster Abbey.

Last year, a French scientist found arsenic levels in Napoleon's hair between seven and 38 times normal levels - apparent proof of poisoning.

However, a French magazine, Science et Vie, hired three leading forensic scientists to test 19 of Napoleon's hairs, taken in three years: 1805 and 1814, before he was exiled, and 1821. Arsenic levels in all three were well above normal, suggesting it was not deliberately administered and did not end his life.

"There was no poisoning," the journal declared.

Instead of an English plot, the arsenic is more likely to have come from guns, whose bullets contained the metal, from wood fires or - most probably - from hair-care products popular at the time, the magazine said.

Post-mortem reports in 1821 attributed Napoleon's death to stomach cancer. The researchers say this remains the most credible theory.

There have been calls to prise open Napoleon's tomb at Invalides in Paris to see if he really is in there, but the French government refuses.

Sceptics point out that Napoleon relics have multiplied since his death, casting doubt on the authenticity of any hairs said to be his.

[joak]

Drat! Yet another interesting fact I learned in my youth turns out to be utterly wrong.

I remember one writer trying to synch up physical symptoms of the poisoning with the times of elevated levels in the hair to "prove" it wasn't the shampoo . . . but in retrospect, without knowing with certainty when a hair sample was taken, I guess it would have taken a lot of guess work.