Napoleon Bonaparte’s death in 1821 has indeed been the subject of debate for nearly two centuries. While his personal physician, Dr. François Carlo Antommarchi, recorded that Napoleon died of stomach cancer, many have speculated that he was poisoned, particularly with arsenic.
This theory gained traction because of Napoleon’s political enemies and the presence of arsenic found in samples of his hair.
Some argued that the British, who kept him in exile on the island of Saint Helena, might have poisoned him to ensure he never returned to power.
However, more recent studies have suggested that the arsenic levels in Napoleon’s hair might not have been abnormal for the time, as arsenic was commonly found in various products and even used medicinally.
Additionally, modern historians lean more towards the idea that Napoleon’s death was due to natural causes, such as complications from a stomach ulcer or cancer, perhaps exacerbated by the poor living conditions in exile.
The debate over the cause of Napoleon’s death highlights the enduring fascination with his life and the persistent intrigue surrounding his final days.
Despite the discovery of toxic levels of arsenic in Napoleon’s hair, his well-preserved body in 1840, and detailed records from his valet’s diaries, Dr. Robert Genta of the University of Texas confirms that Napoleon’s death was due to advanced gastric cancer, as originally diagnosed by his physician.
“It’s become fashionable to ask if the course of history would have been changed if he had somehow escaped his exile, gone back to Paris, perhaps reconquered France,” said Genta.
“And the answer is probably no. His cancer was so advanced that even if somebody could have smuggled him out, he was in such terrible shape that he would have died very quickly.”
After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, where he spent the last six years of his life under British custody.
His health declined significantly during this period, with severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, night sweats, and weakness in his final months. Dr. Francesco Antommarchi, Napoleon’s physician, documented these symptoms, which Dr. Robert Genta of the University of Texas confirms are consistent with stomach cancer.
Genta and his colleagues reviewed Antommarchi’s autopsy report and accounts from witnesses, all of which described a large growth in Napoleon’s stomach, supporting the diagnosis of advanced gastric cancer.
For decades, the theory that Napoleon was poisoned by his British captors has been debated, especially after finding arsenic levels in his hair that were up to 38 times higher than normal.
However, researchers like Ivan Ricordel suggested that these arsenic levels could have originated from sources like wine, hair tonic, or treatments for syphilis, which was common at the time.
Dr. Robert Genta argues against the poisoning theory, noting that the autopsy did not reveal signs of arsenic poisoning, such as discoloration of the skin or fingernails.
Additionally, Genta’s team analyzed Napoleon’s trousers from his final years, finding that his waist size decreased significantly, indicating a weight loss of about 30 pounds.
This weight loss aligns with the symptoms of stomach cancer rather than arsenic poisoning.
“Even if he had been taken to one of today’s best hospitals,” says Genta, “he would not have survived.”
