The cause of his death remains a mystery
The truth of Napoleon’s death may never be known. NAA showed that Napoleon was not just exposed to high levels of arsenic in the period leading up to his death, as might be expected by those proposing the arsenic poisoning theory. In fact, samples from many years prior to his death contained alarmingly high concentrations of arsenic interspersed with low concentrations. Was it that Napoleon had taken medication such as Fowler’s Solution? Perhaps he was dosing himself with arsenic to build up a resistance to it to try and foil any attempt to poison him long-term exposure to arsenic develops tolerance.
Focusing upon his living conditions on Saint Helena, we note that his room was decorated with wallpapers that had a pattern printed with a pigment known as Scheele’s Green, a green insoluble compound copper arenite (CuHAsO3). While on dry wallpaper Scheele’s Green is not a problem. However, if the wallpaper becomes damp and Saint Helena is a particularly damp place the compound reacts and produces cacodyl (trimethyl arsenic, as (CH3)3) and a serious problem arises. For a start, cacodyl is volatile, so it evaporates from the wallpaper and fills the room, and unlike the solid pigment copper arenite cacodyl is much more toxic. Any occupant that spent any length of time in the affected room would inhale the cacodyl and absorb high doses of a treacherously poisonous compound.
It may well be that Napoleon did die of stomach cancer, but suggestions of arsenic poisoning are plausible. However, if arsenic poisoning was the culprit, it was highly likely to be unintentional and due to inhalation and absorption of cacodyl from the wallpaper. Of course, if Napoleon did die from stomach cancer the cancer could also have been caused by arsenic since arsenic and its compounds are carcinogenic. The above account usefully shows the application of modern analysis in the investigation of a situation that may turn out to be murder. However, what is also demonstrated here is that having a set of results does not lead us directly to a conclusion. As is often the case there may be many alternative explanations that fit the facts.
