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Doctor casts doubt on theory that Napoleon was poisoned

The emperor would not have lasted long if he had escaped his island of exile, researchers said.

By Damon Adams, amednews staff. Feb. 19, 2007.

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Some conspiracy theorists believe Napoleon Bonaparte was poisoned with arsenic more than 185 years ago. Robert M. Genta, MD, believes they are wrong. He attributes the French emperor's demise to something less sinister -- stomach cancer.

Dr. Genta, a Texas pathologist, and fellow researchers came to the conclusion after analyzing original autopsy reports, Napoleon's medical history, memoirs from his doctors and other documents. Their findings appear in the January Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology.

Will their study finally let Napoleon rest in peace? Doubtful.

"The conspiracy theories will continue," said Dr. Genta, the study's senior author and a professor of pathology and gastroenterology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

After his defeat at the battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean. He died in 1821 at age 52.

At the time, the autopsy reports listed gastric cancer as the cause of death. A 1938 study claimed that Napoleon's father died of stomach cancer, so he could have been predisposed to the disease. But in 1961, researchers discovered an elevated level of arsenic in Napoleon's hair, refueling rumors that he was poisoned.

Dr. Genta and Swiss and Canadian researchers decided to see for themselves, having been intrigued by the idea that Napoleon could have changed history by escaping exile. For their study, they relied on current medical knowledge and historical data.

The autopsy reports said Napoleon lost a lot of weight in his last months, a sign of gastric cancer, researchers said. He had a four-inch tumor in his stomach, and his stomach was filled with a dark material resembling coffee grounds, which indicated that gastrointestinal bleeding could have been the immediate cause of death.

Researchers compared the data with images of 50 benign ulcers and 50 gastric cancers. They concluded that Napoleon had a stage III gastric cancer, which today has less than a 50% survival rate of one year and less than 20% survival for five years.

"He was sentenced to death [by the cancer]," Dr. Genta said.

The study said Napoleon likely had a history of chronic Helicobacter pylori gastritis, which probably increased his risk of gastric cancer. The risk also might have been increased by a diet of salt-preserved foods with few fruits and vegetables, common for long military campaigns.

If Napoleon had escaped and returned to power, his illness would have made for a brief reign. "There was no need to poison him," Dr. Genta said. "He would have died in a short time."

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