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Alexandria Gazette & Daily Advertiser
Alexandria, Virginia
What is this article about?
Autopsy report from Longwood, St. Helena, May 6, on Napoleon Bonaparte's body: extensive stomach cancer with ulcer near pylorus, fatty organs, otherwise mostly healthy viscera. Signed by physicians including Thomas Short and Archibald Arnott.
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Longwood, St. Helena, May 6.
Report of appearances on dissection of the body of Napoleon Bonaparte
On a superficial view, the body appeared very fat, which state was confirmed by the first incision down its centre, where the fat was upwards of inch and an half over the abdomen. On cutting thro' the cartilages of the ribs, and exposing the cavity of the Thorax, a trifling adhesion of the left pleura was found to the pleura costalis. About three ounces of reddish fluid were contained in the left cavity, and nearly 8 ounces in the right. The lungs were quite sound. The pericardium was natural, and contained about an ounce of fluid. The heart was of the natural size, but thickly covered with fat. The auricles and ventricles, exhibited nothing extraordinary, except that the muscular parts appeared rather paler than natural.
Upon opening the abdomen the omentum was found remarkably fat, and on exposing the stomach, that viscus was found the seat of extensive disease. Strong adhesion connected the whole superior surface, particularly about the pyloric extremity in the concave surface of the left lobe of the liver; and separating these, an ulcer, which penetrated the coats of the stomach, was discovered one inch from the pylorus, sufficient to allow the passage of the little finger. The internal surface of the stomach to nearly its whole extent, was a mass of cancerous disease of scirrhous portion advancing to cancer; this was particularly noticed near the pylorus. The cardiac extremity, for a small space near the termination of the oesophagus was the only part appearing in healthy state. The stomach was found nearly filled with a large quantity of fluid, resembling coffee grounds. The convex surface of the left lobe of the liver adhered to the diaphragm.
With the exception of the adhesions occasioned by the disease in the stomach, no unhealthy appearance presented itself in the liver. The remainder of the abdominal viscera were in a healthy state.
A slight peculiarity in the formation of the left kidney was observed.
(Signed)
Thomas Short,
Archibald Arnott,
Charles Mitchell,
Francis Barton,
Math. Livingston.
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Where did it happen?
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
St. Helena
Event Date
May 6
Key Persons
Outcome
death due to extensive cancerous disease in the stomach, including an ulcer near the pylorus.
Event Details
The body was very fat. Lungs sound, heart natural but fatty. Stomach showed extensive scirrhous cancer, ulcer penetrating coats one inch from pylorus, filled with coffee-ground fluid. Liver adhered but otherwise healthy. Other viscera healthy except slight peculiarity in left kidney.