A study of Napoleon Bonaparte’s trousers could put an end to the theory that the French Emperor was poisoned.

　　Napoleon died aged 52 on St Helena in the south Atlantic where he had been banished after his defeat at Waterloo.

　　His post mortem showed he died of stomach cancer, but it has been suggested arsenic poisoning or over-zealous treatment was to blame.

　　Now Swiss researchers say his trousers show he lost weight prior his death, confirming he had cancer.

　　The research, by scientists from the anatomical pathology department of the University Hospital in Basel and the Institute of Medical History at the University of Zurich, looked at 12 pairs of Napoleon’s trousers.

　　The Swiss team say the presence of arsenic in Napoleon’s hair, the source of the poisoning theory, was linked to this enthusiasm for wine. At the time, it was the custom of winemakers to dry their casks and basins with arsenic.