Arsenic poisoning historical

A significant historical discovery was that an antidote to arsenic poisoning is the ingestion of gradually increasing doses of the poison rather... 

Arsenic is historically the poison of choice for many murders, both in fiction and reality (e.g., Christie 1924 CNN 1998). The element is considered a metalloid (having both metallic and nonmetallic properties) and is widely distributed in the earth s crust. Arsenic occurs in trace quantities in all rock, soil, water, and air (WHO 2001). Under reducing conditions, arsenite (As ") is the dominant form, while arsenate (As ) generally is the stable form in oxygenated environments. Arsenic salts exhibit a wide range of solubilities, depending on pH and the ionic environment. 

What did Napoleon I die of This question has puzzled generations of social and medical historians. As many as six different diseases had been proposed on the basis of historical evidence, none of which fit all the symptoms. Forshufvud, Smith, and Wassen (5) postulated that the real cause was arsenic poisoning. They studied hair samples taken immediately after Napoleon s death by neutron activation analysis. The results... 

Tsuda, T, Ogawa, T., Babazono, A., Hamada, H., Kanazawa, S., Mino, Y., Aoyama, H., Yamamoto, E, and Kurumatani, N., 1992, Historical cohort studies in three arsenic poisoning areas in Japan Applied OrganometaUic Chemistry, v. 6, no. 4, p. 333-341. 

We will probably never know whether Napoleon died from arsenic poisoning, intentional or accidental, but this exercise in historical sleuthing provides a fascinating example of the use of chemical analysis. Not only is chemical analysis used in forensic science, but it also plays an essential part of endeavors ranging from pure research to practical applications, such as quality control of commercial products and medical diagnosis. 

Despite the numerous reported cases of arsenic poisoning in the medical record, it does not appear that systematic investigations of occupational exposure to arsenic were ever undertaken. The historical silence about workplace exposure to arsenic was unprecedented. None of the pioneers of occupational medicine (including Paracelsus, George Agricola, Bernardino Ramazzani, Charles Thackrah,... 

T Tsuda, T Ogawa, A Babazono, H Hamada, S Kanazawa, Y Mino, H Aoyama, E Yamamoto, N Kurumatani. Historical cohort studies in three arsenic poisoning areas in Japan. Appl Organometal Chem 6 333-341, 1992. 

Napoleon s story has recently taken an unexpected mm up-to-date smdies have revealed that arsenic poisoning was probably not the culprit in this who-done-it. He is now believed to have died of peptic ulcer and historic gastric cancer. Interestingly, wallpaper from... 

Historically, arsenic was one of the poisons of choice because it killed slowly and mimicked many other common ailments, such as gastrointestinal diseases, that could not easily be diagnosed and treated. Once autopsies started being generally performed and it became possible to identify the presence of arsenic as the culprit in the death of the patient, arsenic lost its luster as the ideal poison. 

Historically arsenic compounds were alchemical ingredients and the art of secret poisoning was a part of the social and political life of many societies. Arsenic toxicity resulted in the deaths of painters who mixed arsenic pigments. 

Arsenic trioxide (AS2O3) or white arsenic, was first shown in 1733 by Brandt as being the oxide of the element. Arsenic trioxide is tasteless and odorless, which favors its use as a lethal poison (see numerous historical and more actual cases recently described in some detail by Bentley and Chasteen... 

Historically the first chromate dithiol reaction studied was that with BAL (British Anti-Lewisite) a chelating agent used in the treatment of arsenic(III) (Lewisite) and other cases of heavy metal poisoning ... 

This chapter shows how the search for historical information must involve writings, books, and even speeches by important figures (such as commanding officers) at a site long after they have lefL At the AUES, it was important to learn all that could be found out about Lewisite and the where, how, what, why, and when it was made and used. Lewisite contains arsenic and thus a residual poison will exist after 85 years. 

These findings do not imply poisoning by any means. There is no dramatic difference between the arsenic contents of the hairs of Napoleon and his son. Historical records show that Napoleon 11 died of tuberculosis, and there was no reason to suspect poisoning, let alone murder with arsenic. Even more revealing is the fact that hairs from Napoleon himself at the age of 1 already contained high amounts of arsenic compared to today s average values. Napoleon could not have been poisoned on Saint Helena—at least not with arsenic. Had this actually happened, hairs form Saint Helena would show a much higher arsenic content than earlier ones. 

Arsenic, the poison of many murder mysteries, can cause severe abdominal pain, intense thirst, vomiting, convulsions, and ultimately death. Despite its toxicity, it has been used historically in medicine, cosmetics, and pigments. 

Of the metals considered, cadmium and mercury are the most toxic to humans and are also bioaccumulative historically, poisoning incidents by these metals has been via the contaminated foodstuffs pathway. Arsenic is less toxic than cadmium or mercury, as it is more easily eliminated from organisms, but is a more common contaminant and is often present at relatively high levels. In the developing world the most common pathway to humans is via drinking water, but in the UK soil ingestion is of more concern. Chromium is extremely mobile... 

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