Lot 278
Bonaparte, Napoleon
Auction: 16 May 2008 at 12:00 BST
Description
Manuscript report regarding the final days, post mortem and death of Napoleon Bonaparte on St. Helena, dated 6th July 1821, folio, two leaves, approx 32 by 20cm, discussing the key points in the final days of Napoloen's illness, "On the 17th March he became seriously indisposed, and for four or five days some alarm existed, the dragoons were galloping in all directions with messages... Bonaparte had given positive orders to his attendents not to admit anyone sent there by the governor, however the excruciating pain... induced him to yield, but he would never take any medicine that was either prescribed or prepared by the surgeon of the 20th [Dr Arnott] although he took medicine from his own attendent, " the report also discusses the post-mortem examination, "The body opened... I was favoured with a sight of the heart and stomach, the latter the entire seat of the disease, which was a cancer, of a schirrous state of that viscus... It was remarked before his death that for more than nine days he had refused all nourishment, which was supposd to proceed from resignation or obstinacy, but the diseased state of the stomach fully accounts for it," the final section outlines Bonaparte's funeral, "After letting the coffin into the grave three vollies from 11 field pieces were fired, and the flagship fired 25 minute guns... the grave was 10 feet long, 10 deep and 5 wide, the bottom happened to be solid rock, in which a space was cut to receive the coffin, and the sides and ends of the grave were walled in by Portland flags....", some chipping to edges and tears along previous folds, small waterstain near centre of first sheet, small section lacking from top right edge of first sheet [approx 8cm long by 1.5cm at widest], some loss to text but still readable; Arnott, Archibald An account of the last illness, decease and post mortem appearances of Napoleon Bonaparte. London: John Murray, 1822, 8vo, disbound, sone chipping to lower right corner, some staining, contemporary ink inscription on title (2)
Footnote
Note: This manuscript report outlines, very clearly, the final days of Napoleon Bonaparte. Unsigned by the author, it is thought to be in the hand of one of the 6 British doctors present at the Bonaparte's post- mortem examination. The most likely candidates are Charles Mitchell of the HMS Vigo or Thomas Shortt, the other physicians included Archibald Arnott [of the 20th Regiment], Dr Thomas Rutledge [Assistant surgeon to the 20th], Matthew Livingstone and Francis Burton [66th Regiment].
The report discusses the presence of a tumour in the Bonaparte's stomach as the most likely cause of death. This view agrees with the published pamphlets of Dr Arnott [1822], and the official "Report of the appearances of the dissection of the body of Napoleon Bonaparte, May 6th 1821" undersigned by those mentioned above.