What chemical element was said to have led to the death of Napoleon?

Correct answer: Arsenic

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What people think about it: 40 Comments
PalestryaCelt7
PalestryaCelt7
It was thought that absorbng arsenic gave a person a porcelain complexion. It was quite common place until they discovered that it was killing them.
doxierescued
doxierescued
amazing that they still have some of his hair to test!
Laudy Miss Claudy
Laudy Miss Claudy
Arsenic was used to make the skin appear whiter by giving it a bluish tinge
FoulGremlin88770
FoulGremlin88770
I've read that people who follow a gluten free diet and eat lots of rice are more likely to absorb arsenic as it is naturally found in rice. everything in moderation I guess
Montana Lady
Montana Lady
Many of us drink natural arsenic every day in our tap water at high enough amounts to cause health problems & they were recently talking about increasing the parts per million allowed.... you can check your water by zip code at (ewg dot org)
Luna Levret
Luna Levret
AstonishingLord91086, it is found in the soil. Dorset has high levels occurring naturally. I remember am historic murder trial of a wife accussed of poisoning her husband. There was large debate as to whether he absorbed it naturally.
Cottoname The Quiet
Cottoname The Quiet
What was the source of this constant contact with arsenic?
Canis Lupus
Canis Lupus
Black rice has the most arsenic. Remember...when cooking rice...rinse...rinse...rinse!
PapsGaming
PapsGaming
PalestryaCelt7, I didn't know that arsenic would give aesthetic results to the person who consumed it. I have read though that the emperors and kings used to take it in small portions. It was believed to slowly build an ammunity (defense mechanism) to the poison and make it hard for their enemies to kill them.
RainbowTorpedo36086
RainbowTorpedo36086
arsenic was used in green dyes and caused many problems.
Lauren Fay
Lauren Fay
doxierescued, your hair continues to grow after death.
Puma Girl
Puma Girl
Cottoname The Quiet , very interesting question.
Puma Girl
Puma Girl
Montana Lady, thank you.
Puma Girl
Puma Girl
PalestryaCelt7, So True.
Yani
Yani
In ancient times, arsenic was widely used for medicinal purposes for various conditions and also as a dye. Some who knew it could be lethal also used it in large quantities to poison people..
Smarty 🤓
Smarty 🤓
there is a book made by arsenic
Artie
Artie
The second and last time the British captured banished Bonaparte was on St. Helena. Couldn't escape from it because it's in the middle of nowhere far from Europe. And to be absolutely sure he would never return, the British slowly poisoned him with Arsenic. The British wanted to make absolutely certain Bonaparte would ever come back.
BrainTek
BrainTek
poisonings with arsenic, cyanide and even hemlock were common murder methods in those days
Mike
Mike
Yum yum
Arlene
Arlene
Player, They used to make brooches out of hair.
Arlene
Arlene
Sandyberry, You can ask for a test for heavy metal poisoning. People who do ceramics often have this. I watched a BBC special on the inventions that caused illness, injury, and death. Green paint was loaded with arsenic was one of them.
ravi
ravi
Napoleon was a great leader and commander
nano
nano
very interesting. slowly committing "suicide"
Tara
Tara
Interesting…. Never knew things naturally had arsenic in them! Cancer.org states “The highest levels of arsenic (in all forms) in foods can be found in seafood, rice, rice cereal (and other rice products), mushrooms, and poultry, although many other foods, including some fruit juices, can also contain arsenic.”
Amron143
Amron143
yes bcoz hair is not a biodegradable or easily decomposed....
Macaroni
Macaroni
It’s rumored the doctor who came to verify his death took something a lot more personal than just a hair sample from his body. A very “questionable” procedure………. It’s unlikely, it was obtained for any medical or diagnostic purposes. As it was said to be kept secretly by the doctor at his home. Certainly peculiar 🤣🤣
Jenny
Jenny
K O T K, lol! my great grandma dipped snuff too! died at 88! I think she just lived a good life, tho poor, she mumbled and I never knew why til my dad told me about snuff lol
Jenny
Jenny
10bwc, I thought that was mercury...interesting
Player #120374466
Player #120374466
Ok, what was the source of the arsenic exposure? The water? The drinking or eating utensils ?
Disha Dey
Disha Dey
amazing 💕
Araz
Araz
I wonder why the amount of arsenic was 100 times more in the past? Is it because of foods we eat?
Einstein
Einstein
RainbowTorpedo36086, what about yellow days?
Einstein
Einstein
Laudy Miss Claudy, oh really now?
lizouche
lizouche
Player #25874027, I sympathise!! me too!
Ace
Ace
doxierescued, exactly what I was thinking!
Sonja
Sonja
Player #25874027, 😆
weng ledesma
weng ledesma
wow, what kind of hair does Napoleon have? hahaha
zenith
zenith
AstonishingLord91086, Arsenic was also used as a green dye in wallpapers. I saw a documentary once that had found evidence that the room where he died had wallpaper with the arsenic dye, so the more poorly he got and left the room less, the worse the poisoning became until it killed him.
Player #29907944
Player #29907944
enjoy my game mind question answers
Player #8665967
Player #8665967
doxierescued, hair is one part that dries but does not decay