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updated 17 Oct 2026
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the claim
Napoleon Bonaparte died of arsenic poisoning.
the verdict
CONTESTED
the evidence cuts both ways
Recorded sources
2 sources for · 5 against
Is it true that Napoleon Bonaparte died of arsenic poisoning?
Partly. Modern reference and peer-reviewed sources state that the arsenic-poisoning theory has been rejected and that Napoleon most likely died of stomach cancer, while one 1999 forensic paper and a popular book assert arsenic poisoning. The evidence is genuinely split, with the recent scholarship leaning against arsenic.
Verdict: CONTESTED · 2 sources for, 5 against · Last checked
Evidence for · 2
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B, W. & JH, F. (1999). Activation analyses of authenticated hairs of Napoleon Bonaparte confirm arsenic poisoning.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1097/00000433-199912000-00013
Evidence against · 5
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Napoleon. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon
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More for · 1
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author, D. R. R. (2016). The human superorganism : how the microbiome is revolutionizing the pursuit of a healthy life. archive.org. https://archive.org/details/humansuperorgani0000diet
More against · 4
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Death of Napoleon - Wikipedia. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Napoleon
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Napoleon Bonaparte—no evidence of chronic arsenic poisoning. (1982). doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1038/299627a0
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Xilei, L., R., H., & D., A. (2004). Elemental contents in Napoleon's hair cut before and after his death: Did Napoleon die of arsenic poisoning?. inis.iaea.org. https://inis.iaea.org/records/rt758-j7x69
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The gastric disease of Napoleon Bonaparte: brief report for the bicentenary of Napoleon’s death on St. Helena in 1821. (n.d.). link.springer.com. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00428-021-03061-1.pdf
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