Robert Shelley’s intention was to create an informal and approachable book that would share the intriguing and fascinating details of Napoleons demise. This he has certainly succeeded in doing, creating a very enjoyable read for anyone interested in the history of medicine.
Shelley uses the journals of four doctors who treated Napoleon in his years on St Helena; B.E. O’Meara, J. Stokoe, F. Antommarchi and A. Arnott. These sources help build a wonderfully human story. Political details are interwoven with the more mundane aspects of restrictions on Napoleon's household and how these all impacted on his health. We are taken through the events that led from Napoleon being in good health, simply a rather tubby man, in Oct 1815, to his death as his vital organs failed in May 1821. The final chapter details his subsequent post mortem. Shelley’s account engenders much sympathy for O’Meara and Stokoe who were caught by regulations, vexations and even spiteful tricks created by Sir Hudson Lowe, Governor of St Helena. For endeavouring to carry out their medical duties O’Meara and Stokoe were dismissed from Naval service with the later also being courtmartialled. High stakes indeed.
Throughout we are given remarkable medical details of Napoleon's symptoms and his doctor’s attempts to bring him comfort. Never keen to take medicines his doctors were often limited in their prescriptions to a variety of baths, warm or salt water, and enemas. We do however hear of such things as the massage he accepted with an ammonia and opium liniment for vague pains and many other concoctions that the doctors would have liked him to take. It adds up to a fascinating insight into the medical times of Napoleon.
Robert Shelley is the nom de plume of retired medical practitioner Robert Richardson. Whilst his medical training is an undoubted advantage in his interpretation of the writings of the various doctors his style is such that his work can be equally appreciated by a non- medical audience. I very much enjoyed this book and would fully recommend it.