NAPOLEON'S LAST ILLNESS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 58, 8 March 1913, Page 13

NAPOLEON'S LAST ILLNESS.

Half the doctors who attended Napoleon in his St. Helena illness, said he suffered from hepatitis. The other half said he suffered from hypochondria. "Four doctors tackled Johhny Smith —they blistered and they bled him— with squills, and anti-bilious pills, and ipecac they fed him." And all the timo the miserable wretch was suffering from an ulcer in the stomach. The borders of the ulcer (medially treated for liver complaint and imaginary complaints) grew bard, scirrhous, cancerous- The cancerous growth extended, and affected the lining of the stomach. Then Napoleon died, poor devil! An autopsy was made, and the doctors fled to find ejaamea for their diagnoses. What the autopsy disclosed is told in "The Illness and Death of Napoleon Bonaparte: A Medical Criticism," published this year by Hirsohfield Bros., for Arnold Chaplin, MJX, the author. It is an interesting little medical-his-torical book, well written. "The post-mortem examination was performed by Airtonrmarchl at 3 p.m., on May 6th„ 1821, In the presence of the surgeons Shortt, Henry, Burton, Llvmsstone, Mitchell, Arnott, and Rotledge. It must have been a dramatic proceeding. On the one band were ranged Antomarchi and the French follower* of Napoleon, nil convinced! that the autopsy would reveal to the world the fact tliat death bad bee:caused by hepatitis induced by the climate of St Helena; on the oOior, Arnott, who —tost have been apprehensive on account of hi* oft-repeated belief Oust the Emperor was suffering tram hypochondriasis merely; but all «inaHy Ignorant of the renl c-nuso of death. Henry, the assistant surgeon or the 68th Regiment, giros a. most graphic account of the examination, nnd depicts t3» guaitaunen ■waiting expectant to see the lncteion made In the Ttver from which was to gosh. <orth the pus from the iiei.i..e abscess. Alas! .Some curious information regarding UTapoleon is given, making dearer k£ referenee < *ta"9ie child-type of genius.