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Napoleon Bonaparte's exposure to arsenic during 1816

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Summary

Analysis of hair from Napoleon showed that he was exposed to considerable amounts of arsenic during 1816. The distribution pattern of the arsenic in the hair is similar to that found after the daily ingestion of excessive amounts of arsenic.

Zusammenfassung

Die Analyse, die am Haar Napoleons vorgenommen wurde, hat nachgewiesen, daß er im Laufe des Jahres 1816 erheblichen Mengen von Arsen ausgesetzt war. Das Erscheinungsbild der Verteilung des Arsens gleicht demjenigen, das sich nach täglicher Einnahme übermäßiger Mengen von Arsen ergibt.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Medicine, Glasgow University, G 12 8QQ, Glasgow, Great Britain

    A. C. D. Leslie & Hamilton Smith

Authors
  1. A. C. D. Leslie
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  2. Hamilton Smith
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Leslie, A.C.D., Smith, H. Napoleon Bonaparte's exposure to arsenic during 1816. Arch. Toxicol. 41, 163–167 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00302528

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00302528

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