Napoleon not Poisoned!

[Gary McClellan]

Interesting news article (Note, never thought he was myself, but interesting in any case)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080212/lf_nm_life/italy_napoleon_dc

[FM WarB]

As the report states, Napoleon had a slow intake of arsenic, over the years. These high levels of arsenic were environmental, it says. Accidental, or on purpose, Napoleon did demonstrate symptoms similar to arsenic poisoning at Borodino and Waterloo.
The whole purpose of doing the poisoning slowly is to mask the symptoms and not get caught. This conspiracy theory cannot be killed so easily:)

[Gary McClellan]

True, though I'm not a fan of conspiricy theories, and the article also states that those levels of arsenic are very widespread throughout people of that era, period, whether they were the Emperor, or just ordinary types.

I would like to know how "early" the locks of hair go back. All the way back to his tenure as First Counsel? Earlier?

Still, even if arsenic poisoning is meant to be slow, by extending to Borodino, you'll looking at a 7 year process. No assassin is that patient.

[holdit]

True, though I'm not a fan of conspiricy theories,

I usually find cock-up theories to be much more compelling.

Paul

[Lord_Valentai]

Agreed. Acutally, It's 9 years from Borodino to his death. That means at least 12 years of poisoning. To me that sounds illogical and wrong for deliberate.

[FM WarB]

So You dont want to kill him, fast, you just make him sick and incompetent at Borodino and Waterloo, two of his biggest failures. What's wrong with that?
And when do those hair samples start? What commoner hair has been analyzed?

[Lord_Valentai]

Hmm, well logically it doesn't make sense. If you want him to be sick and incompetant isn't it just better to kill him and not have to worry about him making mistakes at later battles? This hypothetical killer needs to be lucky and with him every single week for over ten years. It's not logical.