Chinese emperor was poisoned with arsenic

The Telegraph ^ | 04 Nov 2008 | Richard Spencer

[nickcarraway]

Analysis of hair and other fragments taken from the tomb of the Guangxu emperor, who died 100 years ago this month, showed high levels of the chemical.

The findings are seen as proving suspicions that the emperor was murdered, and the implications will be eagerly discussed, not just by historians. The traditional secrecy of Chinese rulers through the centuries makes the fate of China's last dynastic rulers important for understanding modern-day Communist Party politics.

The Guangxu emperor, like all Chinese rulers, was known by a formal title given to his reign since commoners were not allowed to speak his name. He was a sick and depressed youth, ascending the throne as an infant and overshadowed all his life by conniving princes and his powerful aunt, the dowager empress.

But in 1898 he began an impressive attempt to change China and its autocratic imperial system for ever, taking as advisers reformist thinkers who argued for a constitutional monarchy.

This brief flowering lasted 100 days before his advisers were arrested and beheaded, and he himself imprisoned on an island in the Forbidden City gardens.

Rumours that he was poisoned circulated not long after his death. The dowager empress, who was on her death-bed and "ascended the dragon" the very next day, was said to have wanted to control the succession.

Others pointed the finger of blame at a general, Yuan Shikai, afraid the emperor was plotting revenge for the death of his advisers.

Whichever was true, the three-year-old last emperor was in no position to prevent the collapse of the Qing, China's final ruling dynasty, and its replacement by a republic in 1912.

[BGHater]

No doubt it was milk or candy. Typical Chinese food.

Probably killed his dogs and cats as well.

[PGR88]

Check for melamine as well....

[SunkenCiv]

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[ApplegateRanch]

Now that they don’t have an emperor to poison, they just spread it around in the people’s food, if there is still room for it after the melamine, antibiotics, hormones, and other adulterants and pollutants.

I love Chinese food, but sure won’t eat China “foods”.

[wildbill]

Probably was poisoned, but medicos used to use arsenic for a lot of diseases (such as syphillis)as a curative.

[Cincinna]

Thanks Nick and Civ.

Forensic Archaeology is fascinating. Many historical “mysterious” deaths will be solved in the future through DNA and chemical analysis technology.

Next thing you know, you will be telling us Bonaparte really did die from an ulcer!