Researchers analyzed hair samples from Napoleon at different stages of his life and compared them to samples from his son and living people. They found high levels of arsenic in Napoleon's hair throughout his life, suggesting he constantly absorbed small amounts of arsenic, rather than being poisoned at the end. The study uses neutron activation, a technique that does not destroy samples and provides precise results from small amounts of hair.

3. Arsenic poisoning did not kill Napoleon.
A new analysis suggests, contrary to claims made
in recent years.
The results of the study show high levels of arsenic
Napoleon Bonaparte's hair throughout his life,
suggesting he was not poisoned at the end of his life
while in exile on the island of Saint Helena.
Rather he probably absorbed arsenic
constantly throughout his life.

4. Physicists at
the University of Milano-Bicocca
and the University of Pavia
compared the arsenic levels in
hair samples taken from
Napoleon Bonaparte
at various stages in his life
with levels in hairs
from Napoleon's son
and 10 living persons.

5. The hair samples were provided by the Glauco-Lombardi
Museum in Parma, the Malmaison Museum in Paris
and the Napoleonic Museum in Rome.

6. The technique used is known
as “neutron activation,"
which has two advantages:
it does not destroy the sample,
and it provides extremely
precise results even on samples
with a small mass, such as
human hair samples.

7. The researchers found traces of arsenic in all the hair samples
and were surprised by their findings.
the level of arsenic in the hair samples from 200 years ago was
found to be 100 times greater than the average level detected in
samples from persons living today.
the Emperor’s hair had an average arsenic level of around
ten parts per one million, whereas the arsenic level in the hair
samples from currently living persons was around one-tenth of
a part per one million.
The other surprise was that there were no significant
differences in arsenic levels between when Napoleon was a
boy and during his final days in Saint Helena.

8. It is evident that this was not a case of poisoning but instead the
result of the constant absorption of arsenic.
The results were published in the journal Il Nuovo Saggiatore.

9. Hegazovich