This program provides a neat chemical answer to a small historical mystery: Who poisoned Napoleon? In 1950, a sample of Napoleon’s hair was analyzed and found to contain high levels of arsenic. This in turn led to a conspiracy theory about Napoleon’s murder. The program explains arsenic’s reputation as the "inheritance powder" and shows how testing for arsenic is done; it explains the connection between Scheele’s green or copper arsenite, its use on wallpaper, and numerous mysterious deaths; and it demystifies the mystery. The program shows the test used on a scrap of Napoleon’s wallpaper to determine what had been on it; historical research into the conditions of Napoleon’s incarceration supplied the remaining details to justify the conclusion that Napoleon died, not as the result of a conspiracy, but because dampness made his wallpaper lethal. (26 minutes)