Document Detail


The medical mystery of Napoleon Bonaparte: an interdisciplinary exposé.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21326012     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 to 1821) is one of the most studied historical figures in European history. Not surprisingly, amongst the many mysteries still surrounding his person is the cause of his death, and particularly the suspicion that he was poisoned, continue to intrigue medical historians. After the defeat of the Napoleonic Army at the battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was exiled to the small island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, where he died 6 years later. Although his personal physician, Dr François Carlo Antommarchi, stated in his autopsy report that stomach cancer was the cause of death, this diagnosis was challenged in 1961 by the finding of an elevated arsenic concentration in one of Napoleon's hair samples. At that time it was suggested that Napoleon had been poisoned by one of his companions in exile who was allegedly supported by the British Government. Since then Napoleon's cause of death continues to be a topic of debate. The aim of this review is to use a multidisciplinary approach to provide a systematic and critical assessment of Napoleon's cause of death.
Authors:
Alessandro Lugli; Massimiliano Clemenza; Philip E Corso; Jacques di Costanzo; Richard Dirnhofer; Ettore Fiorini; Costanza Herborg; John Thomas Hindmarsh; Edoardo Orvini; Adalberto Piazzoli; Ezio Previtali; Angela Santagostino; Amnon Sonnenberg; Robert M Genta
Publication Detail:
Type:  Biography; Historical Article; Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Advances in anatomic pathology     Volume:  18     ISSN:  1533-4031     ISO Abbreviation:  Adv Anat Pathol     Publication Date:  2011 Mar 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-02-17     Completed Date:  2011-06-02     Revised Date:  2011-06-10    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9435676     Medline TA:  Adv Anat Pathol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  152-8     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Arsenic Poisoning / history*
Cause of Death*
Famous Persons*
France
History, 18th Century
History, 19th Century
Humans
Stomach Neoplasms / history*
Personal Name Subject
Personal Name Subject:
Napoleon Bonaparte
Comments/Corrections
Erratum In:
Adv Anat Pathol. 2011 May;18(3):254

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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