Archibald Arnott
Encyclopedia
Archibald Arnott was a British Army
surgeon
best remembered as Napoleon's doctor on St. Helena, and who was present at the Emperor's autopsy
. He moved back to Ecclefechan in his retirement and is buried in Ecclefechan churchyard.
as Assistant Surgeon. Arnott was promoted to Surgeon on 23 August 1799. He followed his unit to Holland and was present at the storming of the entrechments
at Krabbendam
. He was later transferred to the 20th Regiment of Foot at Minorca
and was present at the storming of Alexandria. He continued to served with the 20th Regiment at Malta
, Sicily
and Calabria
and was present at the battle of Maida
.
He continued to serve with the 20th Regiment at Vimicra and in the retreat from the Battle of Corunna
. He followed his unit in the Walcheren expedition where his military unit
was decimated by fever. In 1812, Arnott, served with the Duke of Wellington in his campaigns until the end of the war, including the battle of Vittoria, in the Pyrenees
and in India
.
As the fourth and last of Napoleon's physicians on St. Helena, Arnott arrived, following his regiment in 1819, and on 21 April 1821 visited Napoleon in his professional capacity. He quickly established excellent relations with the Emperor, becoming his most trusted doctor, and attended to him until his death. The Emperor was bedridden for some days as a result of persistent vomiting
and Arnott prescribed potions, with no initial results, eventually prescribing a sedative
generally thought to be opium
, which relieved the Emperor's symptoms. On 3 May, Arnott prescribed calomel for the Emperor's constipation with good results. Prior to his death, Napoleon ordered a snuff box
brought to him and carved an "N" with a pen knife and presented it to Dr. Arnott. It later entered the possession of Alan Cunningham, a British Army officer.
On 3 May 1821 Napoleon gave instructions that should he become insensible, no English physician but Arnott was to touch him. Napoleon died on 5 May 1821, and Arnott attended his post-mortem examination
. The Emperor bequeathed
Arnott six hundred Napoleons
and the British government gave him an additional payment of five hundred pounds.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
best remembered as Napoleon's doctor on St. Helena, and who was present at the Emperor's autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
. He moved back to Ecclefechan in his retirement and is buried in Ecclefechan churchyard.
British Army surgeon
He entered the British Army on 14 April 1795 and was posted to the 11th Hussars11th Hussars
The 11th Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.-History:The regiment was founded in 1715 as Colonel Philip Honeywood's Regiment of Dragoons and was known by the name of its Colonel until 1751 when it became the 11th Regiment of Dragoons...
as Assistant Surgeon. Arnott was promoted to Surgeon on 23 August 1799. He followed his unit to Holland and was present at the storming of the entrechments
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
at Krabbendam
Krabbendam
Krabbendam is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Harenkarspel, and lies about 10 km north of Alkmaar....
. He was later transferred to the 20th Regiment of Foot at Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
and was present at the storming of Alexandria. He continued to served with the 20th Regiment at Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
and was present at the battle of Maida
Battle of Maida
The Battle of Maida on 4 July 1806 saw a British expeditionary force fight a First French Empire division outside the town of Maida in Calabria, Italy during the Napoleonic Wars. John Stuart led 5,200 British troops to victory over about 6,000 French soldiers under Jean Reynier, inflicting...
.
He continued to serve with the 20th Regiment at Vimicra and in the retreat from the Battle of Corunna
Battle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
. He followed his unit in the Walcheren expedition where his military unit
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
was decimated by fever. In 1812, Arnott, served with the Duke of Wellington in his campaigns until the end of the war, including the battle of Vittoria, in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
and in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Napoleon's physician
Vomiting
Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
and Arnott prescribed potions, with no initial results, eventually prescribing a sedative
Sedative
A sedative or tranquilizer is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement....
generally thought to be opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
, which relieved the Emperor's symptoms. On 3 May, Arnott prescribed calomel for the Emperor's constipation with good results. Prior to his death, Napoleon ordered a snuff box
Snuff Box
Snuff Box is a BBC Three British dark comedy starring and written by Matt Berry and Rich Fulcher with additional material by Nick Gargano. It first aired on Monday 27 February 2006....
brought to him and carved an "N" with a pen knife and presented it to Dr. Arnott. It later entered the possession of Alan Cunningham, a British Army officer.
On 3 May 1821 Napoleon gave instructions that should he become insensible, no English physician but Arnott was to touch him. Napoleon died on 5 May 1821, and Arnott attended his post-mortem examination
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
. The Emperor bequeathed
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
Arnott six hundred Napoleons
Livre tournois
The livre tournois |pound]]) was:#one of numerous currencies used in France in the Middle Ages; and#a unit of account used in France in the Middle Ages and the early modern period.-Circulating currency:...
and the British government gave him an additional payment of five hundred pounds.