CHAPTER 33:
HAIR ANALYSIS
THE FIRST TESTS
If Srila Prabhupada was poisoned, it stands to reason that evidence of this could be found by forensic analysis of His hair cuttings, fingernail clippings, or a tooth which may have been removed from Srila Prabhupada's physical body sometime during the period of poisoning and prior to entombment in His Vrindaban samadhi. In December 1997 this reporter took half of his Prabhupada hair relic, about 40 milligrams worth, to First Analytical Laboratories in Chapel Hill, NC. This hair had been received from a (name forgotten) travelling sannyasi in 1978 as a gift, and it might have been cut from Srila Prabhupada's head late in the course of His presence with us, maybe in 1977. If there was a long term poisoning of Srila Prabhupada, this author's hair relic might provide proof of poison, detectable by chemical hair analysis. However, it is not known when this hair was cut.
However, it was learned that each chemical test can only be made for one specific substance, such as mercury, arsenic, antimony or cyanide, and each test requires the destructive consumption of varying amounts of test material. There is no chemical test that provides a reading of all contents. Therefore, one would need to chose what to test for each time, requiring great quantities of hair to work the way down a long list of possible poisons.
Hair mineral analysis, or HMA, performed by various methods, (see Appendix 11 ) is an established and widely accepted testing system to detect elements or minerals in the human body. Somehow, suspicion had been focused on the area of heavy metals as being used for poison. The lab analyst, Dr. Bill Wadlin, explained that all chemical tests for heavy metals except mercury required more than the quantity this reporter possessed. Thus, reluctantly, one half of the teaspoonful of the precious keepsake and sacred relic was sacrificed in the long shot that poisonous amounts of mercury would be detected.
The results showed 4 parts per million of mercury, which is in the normal range of 2 to 15 ppm as quoted from a toxicological text. Highly abnormal amounts creating a serious health threat would be 50 to 200 parts per million. The Heavy Elements by Jack Fergusson provides data on the mercury content in the hair of various groups tested:
1. Japanese poisoned by mercury-polluted fish: 2.46-705.0 ppm (Mean 138)
2. Residents in Pakistan: 0.17- 8.80 ppm (Mean 1.73 ppm)
3. A "frequent range": 0.5 - 2.0 ppm
4. Swedish people, industrialized nation: 0.20 - 4.29 ppm (Mean 1.26)
5. Contemporary Greenlanders (fisheaters): Mean of 9.8 ppm
6. Amazon Indians: 0.3 - 1.4 ppm (Mean 1.0 ppm)
7. Urban Malayasians: Mean of 8.98 ppm
We can see that Srila Prabhupada had about an average amount of mercury in His hair. Thus the conclusions is that this hair was cut at a time Srila Prabhupada was not being poisoned by mercury, if He ever was.
The chemical test for arsenic would have required a handful of Srila Prabhupada's hair, which I doubt could be found anywhere in the Vaishnava community. Chemical testing for any poison with the very small amounts of Srila Prabhupada's hair that might be available will not be a viable avenue of research. Srila Prabhupada cut His hair, never over a half inch long, at least every 30 days, and thus the quantities were very limited.
Dr. Wadlin advised locating a lab or research center that could perform a "neutron activation" analysis of this reporter's remaining hair relic. He thought that there would be no minimum amount required for the test, that the hair would be left intact and that a full reading of all contents could be obtained. Whatever alien elements or poisons might have been ingested by Srila Prabhupada would thus be revealed. Of course, the hair to be tested would need to have been cut after Srila Prabhupada was poisoned. If Srila Prabhupada was given a single "fatal" dose of poison just before His departure, then it would be unlikely that there had been enough time to allow for poison deposition in the hair. Also it would be unlikely that Srila Prabhupada received a haircut on the last day of His presence with us. But if the ostensible poisoning took place over an extended period of time, as confirmed by one of the whispers, then that poison could be detected.
The investigation into Srila Prabhupada's departure would logically include the testing of any of Srila Prabhupada's teeth that may have been removed in 1976-77. This reporter discussed the location of Srila Prabhupada's teeth with Sadhusangananda Prabhu, Boston temple president and well-known for his incomparable collection of Srila Prabhupada memorabilia. He believed there were four of Srila Prabhupada's teeth in the possession of various devotees. He himself had one in his extensive collection of Prabhupada memorabilia, but did not know the date of its "extraction" or removal from Srila Prabhupada's mouth. Upon tracking down the history of Sadhusangananda Prabhu's tooth relic, it was found that Rakshanam Prabhu, serving as a bodyguard, collected the tooth on a plane with Srila Prabhupada in 1975. Thus it is not expected that this tooth will provide any evidence of poisoning, which started no earlier than mid-1976 to early 1977.
The second tooth is owned by Hari Sauri, the third by Tamal Krishna Goswami, and the fourth by an unknown devotee. Attempts to reach Hari Sauri Prabhu have failed to date, but from his Transcendental Diary we see that the tooth he owns was received on August 15, 1976, having been removed by Srila Prabhupada from His own mouth the night before. It is believed that Tamal's tooth was obtained in Bombay in 1977.
We seriously doubt that Tamal will answer any questions about the dating on his tooth, or that he would allow such a test to be done anyway. Maybe he will agree if pressured by the GBC. But will the GBC require him to cooperate or will they just continue to ignore his inappropriate silence in the face of controversy over his intimate knowledge of events in Srila Prabhupada's last days? Tamal has recently released his memories of this time period in TKG's Diary, enhanced, it is surmised, by borrowings from his own letters and the tape recordings of that time period. (Appendix 6, 15)
Nara Narayan Prabhu mentioned that Hansadutta Prabhu had a book on the poisoning of Napoleon. Asked, Hansadutta Prabhu forthrightly provided the name of the book: The Murder of Napoleon by Weider and Hapgood, published by Congdon and Lattes, Inc and distributed by St. Martins Press. The research into Napoleon's death and ascertainment of his poisoning took place in the 1960's. A follow-up book on the subject is Assassination at St. Helena: the Poisoning of Napoleon Bonaparte by Ben Weider and Sten Forshufvud, published by Mitchell Press in 1978. The second book was re-published in 1995 as an expanded edition and is in print. Amazon Books located and sent this author a used copy of the 1978 edition. The books on Napoleon have been very interesting and helpful in obtaining insight into the nature and ways of arsenic assassination. Perhaps Hansadutta's edition was helpful to the poisoners of Srila Prabhupada also.
Since the development of nuclear science, the new method of neutron activation analysis has been widely used. Napoleon's cause of death was mysterious and unknown for 150 years until neutron activation analysis was done on several locks of his hair, preserved since his demise. One test series revealed 40 repeated arsenic poisonings, which were administered over six months and which caused symptoms similar to common diseases. It was determined that Napoleon was slowly poisoned to death by his own personal confidential secretary. Earlier in this publication it was discussed how a scenario of Srila Prabhupada being poisoned slowly by arsenic would result in symptoms usually associated with ordinary ailments, and how Srila Prabhupada's symptoms were very similar to those of Napoleon, and were amazingly consistent with arsenic poisoning.
In January 1998 Balavanta Prabhu disclosed that he had obtained from Hari Sauri Prabhu a small quantity of Srila Prabhupada's last hair cuttings and fingernail clippings collected in November 1977. He stated that the forensic lab he had sent the samples to could not perform a chemical analysis because the quantity was too small. This reporter then advised Balavanta Prabhu of the neutron activation testing method. Encouraged, he said he would try to find such a lab to perform that test.
In late March 1998 this reporter tracked down two facilities where neutron activation analysis can be performed. The FBI recommended the NC SBI, who referred this reporter to a Robert Greenberg of the U.S. government's Nuclear Methods Group. Mr. Greenberg was a friend of Michael Glascock at the Research Reactor Division of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Mr. Glascock recommended this reporter to the head of the division, Dr. Steve Morris. Upon contact, Dr. Morris described how his work usually is in the field of archeological artifacts, but was very familiar with hair testing and offered to consider a written request for a pro-bono (free) test. Dr. Morris was interested in our case and investigation from the academic standpoint. Otherwise, normally, the university facilities were restricted from private or law enforcement use.
This reporter also was directed to a Dr. A. Chatt of the Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Dr. Chatt works with the nuclear reactor at the university and is a leading world authority on hair analysis by the neutron activation method. He has written a book called "Hair Analysis" and he elaborated on his procedures and expertise. This reporter decided to use Dr. Chatt over Dr. Morris because Dr. Morris could promise no time table for testing, even though Dr. Chatt would cost $400. Thus, in early April 1998, this reporter reluctantly sent to Nova Scotia almost all of his remaining sacred hair relic of Srila Prabhupada for neutron activation testing.
After some months and several phone calls, it was finally learned from Dr. Chatt that he had completed the test and the readings revealed no abnormal quantities of any element, except slightly elevated levels of the poisonous element arsenic. This hair sample did not confirm any poisoning, but was at the uppermost range of normal readings and four times the average (Baselt & Cravey). After receiving the abnormal results of Balavanta's hair test, provided below, the conclusion was that this hair sample represents a time of no poisoning or in-between poisonings.
It is not known when the hair was cut, but the chances that it was from 1977 are very high. This hair sample could not confirm arsenic poisoning, but nevertheless was unusually more than average by 4 times. The reading of arsenic was 1.1 parts per million, which is relatively high, as 80 % of normal people are below 1 ppm. Average is about 0.30 ppm. A level of 1.1 ppm does not represent a health hazard nor a chronic poisoning level. But it certainly is on the high side of "normal." What to make of it? "Normal" is a reference to a range of common levels, as opposed to an average.
As we will see later, Napoleon's hair revealed a wide variation of arsenic levels each month of the last six months of his life while he was poisoned with arsenic about 40 different times. One of those months during the middle of his poisoning, his hair read 1.0 ppm of arsenic. Thus we can conclude that even if this reporter's hair sample represents a 1977 time period, it may only mean that there was little arsenic ingested in that month's half inch of hair growth. Since arsenic is quickly eliminated from the blood, which feeds the hair, within 3 to 5 days of ingestion, the hair could be showing only residual amounts from an ingestion five weeks earlier. The blood levels of arsenic could be close to normal because what has not been eliminated through the urine has been deposited in organs and tissues. The destructive effects of arsenic in the body, other than in the blood, continues long after the blood was been cleansed and hair deposition rates return close to normal (1 ppm is getting closer to normal).
FOR EXAMPLE: Suppose Srila Prabhupada ingested a moderate dose of arsenic on May 15, and the hair receives 20 ppm of arsenic. He becomes very ill. Within a week, or May 22, His blood levels of arsenic are down to near normal. Then His hair is cut and new growth of one half inch grows after another four weeks. While the body has been weakened and remains very ill throughout the 5 weeks after May 15, the last 4 weeks of hair show near normal levels of arsenic because the blood has already cleared the poison and delivered it to other parts of the body or passed it into the urine. The new hair cutting then may show only 1 ppm or less of arsenic. Thus the arsenic levels in hair can go up and down over the weeks depending on when the last poisoning took place. In Srila Prabhupada's case, His hair was cut at least once a month and therefore we don't have but one-half inch long hair samples which will not relate to arsenic poisonings further back in time than 5 weeks.
In other words, this hair sample could well have been from 1977, but cut at a time when no arsenic was ingested for about the previous 5 weeks. Since we have no idea when it was cut, it therefore does not contribute much significance to the poisoning research except that it is 4 times over average.
Unfortunately for this reporter, since the testing lab is in a foreign country, there were some complications in getting the sacred relic of Srila Prabhupada's hair returned to North Carolina. Dr. Chatt was concerned about government regulations on radioactive materials crossing international borders, even though the radioactivity is extremely minute. Hopefully someday success will be achieved in recovering this all-valuable keepsake.
The test involves irradiating the sample, which then becomes slightly radioactive itself, each of its component elements emitting different types of gamma rays, which are measured over a period of weeks. Exact amounts of all constituent elements can thus be detected and precisely measured, including spots of higher concentrations of particular elements at various points along the length of individual hairs! Dr. Chatt and Dr. Morris are forensic experts at determining abnormal levels of toxins in human hair or other remains, and in the establishment of a "profile," whereby a timeline of periodic poison doses could be determined. A profile analysis, however, requires hairs more than an inch or so long, and Srila Prabhupada's hair cuttings were less than that. Thus a simple reading, and not a profile reading, would be all that could be expected from either this reporter's or Balavanta's hair samples. See Appendix 11: Hair Mineral Analysis.
While waiting for the results from Dr. Chatt in Nova Scotia, it was learned in a telephone discussion that Balavanta had not yet located, due to his pressing schedule, a facility at which to have his sample tested by neutron activation. This reporter then provided the name, address and phone number of Dr. Steve Morris at the University of Missouri to Balavanta, who stated that he would immediately try to arrange for testing at that facility. Subsequently, Balavanta relayed information to this reporter that he had sent his hair sample to Dr. Morris, and was awaiting the results. After several months, by the fall of 1998, there was still no word of any results, as Dr. Morris was taking the task on the basis of "as his time would allow."
There has been considerable speculation that the poison issue will not be finally settled until Srila Prabhupada's transcendental body is exhumed and tested. The liver, kidneys, bone or other body parts would surely reveal whether or not there was poisoning. However, the thought of disturbing the samadhi of a pure devotee is most upsetting and sure to meet great opposition. It is hardly conceivable that a consensus amongst Srila Prabhupada's followers could be reached in resorting to such a drastic measure, and it is not likely. Could a final verdict on the poisoning of Srila Prabhupada be confirmed any other way than exhumation? Final and total legal proof may be achievable not only by exhumation, but also by a series of authenticated hair tests. After all, there may be fifty or more devotees who own small amounts of Srila Prabhupada's hair from 1977. Perhaps some could be borrowed for neutron activation tests.
To heal the "poisoning" of Srila Prabhupada's movement by the controversy at hand, a finalization of the question must be reached. Therefore, the best course at present, before considering to exhumation, would be to locate, obtain, and test more hair samples. It is believed that Yamuna dasi is in possession of some of Srila Prabhupada's hair from late 1977. Yamuna dasi or others could possibly be persuaded to temporarily loan their hair samples for testing. A very slight, non-threatening amount of temporary radiation would be the only and certainly not prohibitive drawback.
CONFIRMATION OF ARSENIC POISONING
Then in mid-February 1999 this reporter received unofficial reports (rumors) that Balavanta's hair test at the University of Missouri had come in positive for arsenic at abnormal levels. Apparently Balavanta had received his report about two months ago and was maintaining strict secrecy. Further rumors had it that Naveen Krishna was travelling to Mayapur to quietly present a partial report to some of the GBC with the recommendation that Balavanta's investigation be continued and expanded. This turned out not to be true. They were still both in Florida, and quiet as usual.
On February 19 this reporter telephoned Dr. Steve Morris and verbally obtained the detailed results of Balavanta's hair test. Dr. Morris received Srila Prabhupada's hair on June 15, 1998, and after six months had completed the neutron activation analysis. This reporter had originally arranged with Dr. Morris to perform a test on one or two hair samples pro bono (free), but decided to use Dr Chatt in Nova Scotia. Balavanta was told that he could use the free services of Dr. Morris, as Balavanta had made it clear that his GBC provided funds for investigative work were very limited.
Dr. Morris was quite knowledgeable on what constituted normal and abnormal levels of arsenic in human hair. He described that normally one would expect to find from less than 0.05 parts of arsenic per million up to perhaps 0.1 to 0.2 parts per million, depending on exposure to environmental contaminants and so on. His experience was that farmers who are regularly exposed over a long term basis to agricultural herbicides and pesticides containing arsenic compounds MIGHT temporarily attain a level of 1.0 parts per million, which is probably why so many farmers handling these kinds of chemicals have such high rates of serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's, etc. Dr. Morris then related that his testing revealed:
THE HAIR CONTAINED ALMOST 3.0 PARTS PER MILLION.
Dr. Morris conservatively summarized by saying that Srila Prabhupada, at the time represented by that particular half inch of hair, at a very minimum, had 5 to 10 times the normal amount of arsenic as would be normally found in a person. In his opinion, this could not be produced by typical environmental factors, but required the oral ingestion or skin absorption of unusually large amounts of arsenic.
Using Dr. Morris's range of normal hair levels, however, a simple calculation shows that, from 0.05 to 0.2 parts per million as being normal, to almost 3.0 parts as tested is 15 to 60 times over average. The presence of such high amounts of the world's deadliest poison in Srila Prabhupada's hair confirms: Srila Prabhupada was poisoned with arsenic.
It was heard that Balavanta was going to test the Vrindaban ground water to satisfy doubters that there was no way Srila Prabhupada's highly unusual arsenic contamination level was due to water impurities. Srila Prabhupada resided in Vrindaban from May 17 to August 26 (100 days) and from October 2 to November 14 (43 days).There was some news a few years back about health problems in Bengal due to arsenic contamination in deep well water. However, Srila Prabhupada left Mayapur, Bengal in March 1977 after a stay of six weeks only (2.7 - 3.22). If it was the water, then why hasn't any of the permanent residents in Vrindaban or Mayapur taken seriously ill by drinking the same water for the last twenty years? This anticipated argument of discounting the value of 3 ppm and attributing it to environmental factors and not to foul play is what Balavanta was wanting to debunk in advance. This is commendable but seems hardly necessary.
In a 1970 study by McCabe, et al., 99% of 18,000 community water systems in the USA provided an average of about 0.015 milligram of arsenic per person per day. Contamination of well water with arsenic has been a cause of serious health problems in a relatively few and isolated areas, such as New Zealand, Argentina, Taiwan, Chile. The manifestations of illnesses from well water contaminated with arsenic, however, involved permanent residents of that area, not constant world travelers like Srila Prabhupada. The consistent and cumulative effect of localized contaminated well water over a period of years is what produced the negative health effects in those cases. Srila Prabhupada spent at most only a few months in each location, in effect regularly changing His water supply, while His health continued to steadily deteriorate. The source of the arsenic was not the Vrindaban water.
Dr. Morris explained that the test measures elements and not compounds. All arsenic compounds would be measured in terms of their component elements, such as arsenic, oxygen, sulfur, etc. Within 12 to 24 hours of ingestion, arsenic will begin to be deposited in the hair. Periodic ingestions of arsenic can be seen in a hair profile analysis and would show as changing amounts along the length of the hair. The graph below shows a hypothetical relationship of time, amount of arsenic ingested and the amount of arsenic deposited in hair. Gradually, with a half-life of residence in the body of 3 to 5 days, arsenic is eliminated by urine and other minor avenues or deposited in hair, skin, nails, teeth and other bodily organs and tissues. While present, arsenic does great damage, and those amounts which are not eliminated continue to destroy the body internally. Unfortunately, Balavanta's hair sample had insufficient length for this kind of profile study.
This hypothetical graph shows how hair levels of arsenic fluctuate greatly according to the timing and frequency of arsenic ingestions.
As this reporter has several times seen since the beginning of the poison investigation, some devotees working with the investigation, including the attorneys Gupta and Balavanta, may think secrecy is the best approach. However, any advantage there may be in surprising the suspects with a thick dossier of evidence and extracting dramatic confessions has already been spoiled by the rumor mill, and, although popular in television and Hollywood, may not be very practical in the reality of our situation.
This reporter is firmly convinced that this book is necessary to compel the followers of Srila Prabhupada to openly confront the fact that it is certain Srila Prabhupada was "assassinated," probably by His closest disciples for the sake of their material gain. To keep the evidence collected to date a secret seems unproductive, and a perpetuation of the most serious crime since the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Pusta Krishna Prabhu strongly advised this author that to publish this book would be a defamation of Srila Prabhupada and constitute a horrible offense against Him personally. Such are the illogical and emotional responses that are to be expected. If the evidence was unsubstantial, then Pusta Krishna has a good point. But if it is the truth and verified by substantial evidence, as is the case, then the "defamation" of poisoning Srila Prabhupada should be established and dealt with. This is another area that we do not have space herein to digress into; the conclusion is that the truth, not false rumors, is worthy of present4ation and will always result in good. Hiding the truth is dishonesty and always reacts negatively.
Since the nature and circumstances of crimes of poisoning do not lend themselves to easy or smooth legal indictments or convictions, the next best effective forum to obtain justice and historical truth is in the public domain. Through the press and various other media, everyone who cares to know may be informed of the evidence, out in the open. The hope is that this will spur further participation and research into the investigation at hand, resulting in further verification and the ultimate identification and apprehension of the poisoners. Otherwise, are Srila Prabhupada's followers to be deliberately left in the dark? Suppose our parents had died under suspicious circumstances long ago. Is it wrong to try to discover the real story? And after finding it, we should leave it secret? This makes no sense. Silence means complicity. Let us not take this book as entertainment reading and then forget the matter.
There is already too much history in Srila Prabhupada's movement of keeping truths from its members and thus a privileged few then manipulate those kept in the dark. This reporter apologizes to Balavanta, Gupta, the GBC, and others if they cannot appreciate this approach, and trusts that time will show that this book was the right thing to produce.
CONCLUSIONS
Balavanta's hair analysis is no fluke, accident, error or set-up. This high amount of arsenic could not have been accumulated by ingestion of water or medicines which may have contained normal, tiny amounts of arsenic. Water or medicines are not suspect. The conclusion is that this amount is very abnormal and is totally consistent with poisoning, almost certainly malicious in intent. How could it be accidental?
Referring to The Heavy Elements by J.E. Fergusson, we find some test results for various categories on the arsenic content of human hair: Keep in mind that a mean weights the low and the high, so even one or a few high readings will raise the mean far beyond the average. Those one or few persons testing relatively high were undoubtedly exposed to more than usual amounts of arsenic due to environmental or workplace conditions.
1. Normal hair: Mean of 0.62 ppm
2. USA males: Average of 0.12 - 0.14 ppm
3. Bulgaria, washed hair: 0.037 - 0.625 ppm, Mean of 0.158 ppm
4. Pakistan: Range of 0.04 - 1.41 ppm; Mean of 0.26 ppm
5. Rural Malaysia: Mean of 0.27 ppm
6. Rural and urban: Means of 0.68 ppm & 0.75 ppm
7. "Controls": Median of 0.23 & 0.38 ppm
8. Korea: Range of 0.015 - 0.74 ppm, Mean of 0.275 ppm
Thus we can see that the amounts differ due to diet and environmental variances. Overall, however, we see commonly averages much less than 0.5 ppm. It should be noted that we would expect that Srila Prabhupada's arsenic levels would be probably lower than the average person who has resided in urban areas of industrialized nations where the environmental contamination is much higher than in Vrindaban, Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad farm, Mayapur, and ISKCON temples. Furthermore, Srila Prabhupada led a very healthy life of eating pure foods and was exposed to very little (if any) modern agricultural products which may contain toxic chemicals. The likelihood of environmental contamination causing hair levels of 3 ppm in Srila Prabhupada is practically nil.
To illustrate the extreme toxicity of arsenic, note that only 150 ppm of arsine gas in the air will cause immediate death. Ordinarily a person ingests less than 1 milligram total of arsenic a day from water, food and environmental pollution. According to the medical toxicology texts, once this amount is tripled to about 3 mgm a day, chronic poisoning will follow with serious health ramifications, compounded the longer the poisoning continues. Arsenic is required in tiny amounts for the proper metabolism and health of most living creatures. Once that tiny amount is increased even slightly, there ensues a health hazard. The body tolerates arsenic with much more sensitivity than with many other toxic elements, such as mercury and lead.
From the Miami Poison Control Center, Mahabuddhi provided a reference from Poisindex: HAIR: Normal concentration of arsenic in hair and nails is less than 1 mcg/gram (1 ppm) (Baselt & Cravey, 1989)
Another source, Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals, Vol.II: Specific Metals, by Friberg, Nordberg and Vouk, 1986, states that the median amounts of arsenic in the hair of residents of Scotland who died accidentally due to various causes (none poisoning) was 0.46 ppm. In Japan, a very industrialized and urban country, the median arsenic content of human hair was 0.174 ppm. Further, Friberg, et al. State:
"Attempts have been made to correlate normal concentrations of arsenic in hair to exposure to inorganic arsenic. Smith (1964) found that 80 % of 1000 people tested had a concentration below 1 part of Arsenic per million in hair, with... a median of 0.51 ppm."
The seriousness of 3 ppm in Srila Prabhupada's hair is further reinforced by Friberg's reference to a study done in 1973 by Ishinishi wherein retired workers who had been extensively exposed to arsenic in the past showed normal hair arsenic levels even in the presence of serious symptoms of chronic arsenic poisoning. In other words, Srila Prabhupada's hair may have contained 10 or 20 or more ppm earlier in 1977, and even though He had only 3 ppm in October, the results of arsenic poisoning still remained and could well have been at their peak. The damage was already done.
Every time Srila Prabhupada's hair grew a half inch, it was cut and disposed of. If the hair from May contained 20 ppm of arsenic, it would not show up in November's half inch hair cutting because that represented only the growth for one month previous.
Even so, 3 ppm in the 60 to 70 pound body of a very ill and elderly person, such as Srila Prabhupada was, constitutes a much more serious intoxication of a deadly poison that it would be in the body of a healthy, 180 pound person. No wonder Srila Prabhupada was anemic, could not eat, had no strength and had regular heart palpitations, etc ! The arsenic destroyed His health. It is also significant that we find abnormally high levels of arsenic at the end of Srila Prabhupada's life: this is a very strong indication of what caused the prior, year-long deterioration of health.
From the definitive text on arsenic entitled Arsenic, by the National Academy of Sciences, 1977, there is reference to a study by Lander, et al. of acute and chronic arsenic poisoning cases where patients had hair concentrations of arsenic between 3.0 and 26.0 ppm. Chronic cases in this study began at the level of 3 ppm. Thus Srila Prabhupada, in an extremely debilitated physical condition, and having 3 ppm of arsenic in His hair, compares to the lower end of cases of chronic arsenic poisoning that displayed serious physical reactions. This is entirely consistent with an assassin's program of gradual poisoning, a little by little, with just enough arsenic to produce no appetite and anemia. In that way, Srila Prabhupada slowly whithered away, literally from starvation and malnutrition.
This reporter consulted with Dr. Richard Page Hudson, retired Chief Medical Examiner for the state of North Carolina. Dr. Hudson is a forensic pathologist who teaches part-time at East Carolina University and does private consultation work in many toxicological investigations. He has been involved with many exhumations and the testing of various body tissues, including hair, to determine toxic contents thereof. He has also been involved in many murder and attempted murder cases involving arsenic, including the Blanche Taylor Moore and Velma Barfield cases. We discussed the evidence accumulated in Srila Prabhupada's investigation and he agreed that the symptoms from the health history of Srila Prabhupada, as described to him, were definitely those of chronic arsenic poisoning.
Dr. Hudson pointed out that, to his knowledge and from his experience, a different set of symptoms will manifest in each chronic arsenic poisoning case, due to variances in the amount and number of doses of arsenic, the type of arsenic compound, the victim's constitution, etc. He did not think that a constant level of 3 ppm of arsenic in the hair would result in that person having the type of dramatic symptoms that are virtually guaranteed when the level increases to about 10 ppm. He said that it would be most useful to see where on the "time curve" of the entire year of 1977 that the 3 ppm hair sample fell. The preceding months' hair might have readings higher than 3 ppm, and thus further confirm the chronic arsenic poisoning. Therefore it is important to further document our case with more 1976-7 hair samples tested for arsenic.
Dr. Hudson referred to one of his favorite toxicological texts, the 4th Edition of Basel and Cravey's Disposition of Toxicological Drugs and Chemicals In Man, published in 1995 by the Chemical Toxicology Institute. Therein it gives an average level of arsenic in human hair of 0.307 ppm. This average is ten times less than the 3 ppm found in Hari Sauri's hair relic.
Thus we can verify in this way of comparison that Srila Prabhupada's arsenic content in His hair, although not evidence of acute poisoning, nevertheless represents a very substantial deviation from the norm and constitutes serious arsenical intoxication consistent with an assessment of: CHRONIC ARSENIC POISONING. Besides the whispers, the statements by Srila Prabhupada Himself, the speech reversals, the analysis of physical symptoms, the establishment of motive, and the persistent rumors of witnesses, we now have additional solid evidence… very abnormal amounts of arsenic in Srila Prabhupada's hair. One test had 4 times over average, the other had 10 times over average. Even those die-hard disbelievers will have to admit there is, at the least, more than substantial cause for suspicion and the need for a full investigation managed by a trustworthy entity.
If any reader of this publication knows of or is in possession of even a very small amount of Srila Prabhupada's hair that was collected late in Srila Prabhupada's pastimes (mid 1976 to late 1977), please contact this reporter for possible nuclear testing. After testing, the hair will be returned to you, and your contribution to the search for the truth about Srila Prabhupada's departure will be forever noted and appreciated. (See APPENDIX 11)
SUMMARY:
Srila Prabhupada's October 1977 hair was found to contain a concentration of almost 3.0 ppm of arsenic, which, when compared to an average of 0.3 ppm, is 10 times more than average. Thus Srila Prabhupada had exceptionally more arsenic in His body than one would expect and cannot be explained by tainted water or environmental contamination. The level of 3 ppm is comparable to documented case studies of chronic arsenic poisoning, and represents a serious health hazard, especially if maintained for a period of months or longer. Hari Sauri's hair sample represents only about four weeks of history in Srila Prabhupada's last days, however, and provides an average amount of arsenic in the hair for that month. Weekly sections could have read 10 ppm, 1 ppm, 0.5 ppm, 0.5 ppm, with an average of 3 ppm, indicating a level of poisoning at one point that is much higher than the average. Even this author's hair sample containing 4 times average is rather unusual. Undoubtedly Srila Prabhupada was maliciously poisoned.
Comments
CHAPTER 34:
NAPOLEON: A CASE HISTORY
Although many history texts and encyclopedias have not yet been updated, it is now an historically established fact that Napoleon Bonaparte, during his final exile on the South Atlantic island of St. Helena, was gradually poisoned to death by arsenic and mercury compounds. The forensic examination of some of Napoleon's hair revealed over 40 doses of arsenic over a period of 6 months. The story of this amazing discovery through nuclear testing and meticulous historical research is presented in Assassination at St. Helena, published in 1978 and reprinted in 1995. The authors, Weider and Forshufvud, list Napoleon's symptoms as including the following:
1. Frequent headaches.
2. A marked general fatigue.
3. A noticeable change in disposition, disinclination for work, depression, which can nevertheless occasionally change to an exaggerated optimism.
4. Disturbance in sleep rhythm (somnolence alternating with insomnia).
5. Polyneuritis in both motory and sensory nerves, most pronounced in the latter. A chronic case of arsenic intoxication will feel pain in different places, mostly in the lower legs, the shoulders & in the region of the liver.
6. The feet and lower legs become swollen.
7. The muscles of the calf are subject to fatty degeneration, and become consequently very weak. The victim can walk only with difficulty.
8. Swollen liver.
9. Skin tends to turn bronze in color.
10. The entire body may itch anywhere or everywhere.
11. Pimples develop, often around the mouth.
12. The fine hairs of the body diminish or disappear.
13. Hair on the head grows very thin.
14. General lack of appetite, indigestion, stomach pains.
15. Impairment of hearing leading to pronounced deafness.
16. Sensitivity of the eyes to sunlight or bright artificial light. The victim may prefer a nearly darkened room.
17. Tendency to periods of emotionalism as expressed by tearfulness.
18. Difficulty in urination. Scanty urine, discharged slowly or painfully.
19. Persistent dry cough.
20. Tendency to pleurisy, difficult breathing
21. Sensation of fever without rise in body temperature, sweating.
22. Icy cold legs with larger doses of arsenic, especially in mornings.
23. Severe hoarseness by affection of the pharynx and larynx.
24. Tachycardia or quickened pulse.
25. Irregular pulse, or very slow pulse, according to doses.
26. Frequent and painful muscle cramps, especially in lower legs.
27. Spasms in various parts of the body.
28. Loose teeth, bleeding and swollen gums that may appear whitish.
29. Constipation alternated with diarrhea
30. Conjunctivitis (cold in the eyes)
31. Skin afflictions, including blisters
Do these symptoms sound familiar after reading Srila Prabhupada's health history? All these symptoms are synonymous with arsenic poisoning and very closely resemble the physical symptoms Srila Prabhupada exhibited during His 1977 "illness." Forshufvud & Weider state in their book, pg. 433:
"A modern day German pathologist, Dr. A. Heffter, a specialist researching in the intricacies of diagnosis in cases of arsenic intoxication, writes that it is unforgivable not to suspect arsenic intoxication when gastric trouble is coupled with conjunctivitis, eczema or weakness in the legs."
Many texts state that skin afflictions such as eczema are not typical in chronic arsenic poisoning until after one or more years, and justifies why Srila Prabhupada is not known to have many skin manifestations of arsenic poisoning. Srila Prabhupada was perhaps poisoned for 9 to 18 months at most. Even so, His Divine Grace's combination of symptoms can only be explained by arsenic intoxication, as verified by Hari Sauri's hair sample.
Amazon.com's Military History Editor's recommended book was reviewed as follows: "Napoleon was poisoned! The academic elite hated this theory when Sten Forshufvud first introduced it in 1961, but over the years, working with experts across the globe, he built an increasingly forceful case that an assassin killed Napoleon with arsenic. Assassination at St. Helena Revisited presents the most complete argument yet, and a growing number of authorities now accept its premise as an established fact. (See, for instance, Alan Schom's biography Napoleon Bonaparte.) Forshufvud and co-author Ben Weider reveal their science and also detail Napoleon's final years of exile on St. Helena. The culprit, they believe was Comte Charles-Tristan de Montholon, an opportunistic man who had both the motive and the means to do the deed. A minor classic of historical and scientific detective work, Assassination at St. Helena Revisited will continue to spark debates, but for now it looks like the conspiracy theorists have the upper hand."
The rear cover of Assassination at St. Helena, 1978 edition, was striking in its summary: "In what could come to be rated for its history-changing implications as the most significant homicide detection story ever written, the author gives discovered evidence in startling detail on the cause of Napoleon's death. Use of nuclear science for irradiation of specimens of Napoleon's hair made possible a renewed autopsy. The finding: France's immortal hero had been repeatedly poisoned. Out of a background of the great names and epic events of the Napoleonic era emerges compelling evidence that a Bourbonist count - a man once severely punished by Napoleon but who had become later his most trusted, praised and rewarded attendant - was actually his executioner and poisoner."
Two articles published in 1961 and 1962 describe the details of Napoleon's health history and the forensic neutron activation analysis results of Napoleon's hair. Note the amazing similarity of Napoleon's physical symptoms of illness to those of Srila Prabhupada. They are as follows.
Arsenic Content of Napoleon I's Hair Probably Taken Immediately After His Death
By Dr. Sten Forshufvud, Dr. Hamilton Smith and Dr. Anders Wassen
It has generally been deduced from the report of the post-mortem dissection dated St. Helena, May 6,1821, and signed by the British medical officers, Thomas Shortt, Archibald Arnott, Charles Mitchell, Francis Burton and Matthew Livingstone, that Napoleon I's death the preceding day was due to extensive cancerous lesions of the stomach.
The view that Napoleon died of 'cancer' was not accepted by Francesco Antommarchi, the man who actually performed the autopsy, who had been Napoleon's household physician for the last twenty months, and was the only physician on St. Helena with a pathologist's training. He maintained that the hepatitis the Emperor had suffered from for a long time was the cause of death. Furthermore, the Emperor's enlarged, tender liver, jaundiced complexion and yellow conjunctivae had also been diagnosed as signs of severe hepatitis by Barry O'Meara, Napoleon's household physician during his first three years in exile, and John Stokoe, who had attended Napoleon for a week in January 1819.
Consequently, apart from Dr. Arnott, who assisted Antommarchi during the last few weeks when the morbid picture was especially baffling, those medical men who personally had attended Napoleon during his illness refused to admit that he had died from cancer.
Many medical writers with doubts about the cancer diagnosis have attempted to identify Napoleon's disease on St. Helena by analysing compilations of his signs and symptoms. This has produced surprisingly disparate results. Thus, when exiled on St. Helena, Napoleon is alleged to have had, or suffered from the sequels of, the following diseases: peptic ulcer, intestinal ulceration, various liver inflammations, undulant fever, malaria, dysentery, rheumatoid arthritis, heart failure, congenital extremely slow blood circulation, epilepsy, tuberculosis, pleurisy, severe hormonal imbalance leading to obesity and impotence (dystrophia adiposogenitalis), syphilis, gonorrhoea, intoxication from defective teeth (so-called focal infection), gout, piles, and a constitutional predisposition to severe constipation which, it is said, was fatal owing to auto-intoxication and poisoning by laxatives.
If a suitable selection is made from the variety of signs and symptoms manifested by Napoleon on St. Helena, it is a simple matter to make out a convincing case for every one of these diagnoses in turn. But if what, after all, was a fairly unchanging disease pattern on St. Helena is taken as an entity, and allowance is made for all the signs and symptoms and their interrelations, then one cannot escape the impression that all the pieces form an orderly picture of two highly characteristic syndromes, namely, the chronic and acute types of arsenic poisoning.
Napoleon's condition was rather poor during the Hundred Days. However, his health improved while he was being taken into exile on board H.M.S. Northumberland; and Napoleon's health remained good during the initial period on St. Helena when, with his sole companions and collaborators, the Chamberlain Las Cases and his son, he lived in a simple cottage on the estate, 'The Briars'. Soon after moving to 'Longwood' Napoleon's ailments again became manifest. He turned moody, had various aches and pains, the lower legs swelled up and would not carry him, exanthemata broke out, particularly on the legs, his sleep was abnormal with either insomnia or somnolence, diarrhea and constipation alternated, headaches with increasing frequency and severity.
His indispositions at first lasted only a few days at a time, his mental powers returning undiminished in the intervals. Nevertheless, members of his staff noticed marked changes in his expression and increasing difficulties in locomotion. Napoleon's legs were swollen and often collapsed under him.
On May 1, 1816, Napoleon had an attack lasting for a whole week. Las Cases mentions that he complained of weak legs, headache, hypersensitivity to light, and felt cold and shivery; his facial expression had changed markedly, he spoke sluggishly, and was morose and taciturn. Napoleon believed himself to have gout, suggesting that his feet were swollen and painful. Though Napoleon's teeth were perfectly sound, O'Meara recorded on June 16, 1816, that his patient had toothache. Later it turned out that the toothache was due to 'scurvy', that is, stomatitis. On July 26, 1816, Napoleon experienced the first stab of that pain in the hypochondrium which was a constant source of distress through the rest of his life. After a number of brief attacks of malaise, Napoleon fell ill for six weeks in succession on October 1, 1816. A troublesome cough was now added to the list of symptoms; he had postules on the lips as well as in the oral cavity and throat. Napoleon was tormented by an insatiable thirst and had become perceptibly hard of hearing. Lassitude alternating with restlessness was a characteristic feature. He always felt cold and liked to sit near the fireplace. He could scarcely walk, because the swollen and weak legs would not carry him. The gums swelled up and the teeth became loose. Diffuse nausea with a predisposition for spasmodic vomiting without actual regurgitation of food were also noted. Napoleon had a relapse with the same manifestations as before on December 3 and 4, 1816, and his companions now became aware of his very jaundiced complexion. On December 14, 18 and 28 there were further attacks the symptoms of which included spastic involuntary movements and unconsciousness on several occasions. According to the head valet, Marchand, one of these bouts was combined with dysentery (that is, severe diarrhoea). For the first time in two months Napoleon went out of doors on January 26, 1817. Apart from brief indispositions in May, June and July, Napoleon's health seemed to remain comparatively good until September 25, 1817, when a period of illness set in which lasted approximately a whole year. The signs and symptoms were on the whole the same as before, but new features had been added. For example, in Dr. O'Meara's case notes for October 1817, we read: on the third a swelling was palpable on the right side near the liver, on the ninth the pains in the legs and neighbourhood of the liver had increased and pains in the shoulder supervened, on the eleventh the patient was seriously distressed by tachycardia. Afterwards severe constipation developed, the skin and conjunctivae were yellow and the appetite was poor. The vomiting tendency was now accompanied by stomach-ache. The stomatitis was very distressing and on several occasions caused the cheeks to swell. Constant phenomena were 'febrile attacks' at nightfall and profuse sweating at daybreak. The tongue was coated, the pulse often very rapid and irregular.
Although Napoleon now had no physician in attendance - the British authorities had ordered O'Meara away from 'Longwood' on July 25, 1818 - his health underwent a gradual improvement in the latter half of that year. Some symptoms nevertheless persisted for another few months, such as lancinating hypochondrial pains and painful and weak legs. Often the feet were ice cold and had to be warmed with hot towels, and the ex-Emperor frequently sat before the fire with his feet in a flannel bag.
In the final months of 1818 it seemed as though Napoleon was well on the way towards full recovery. Once more he began to take interest in his literary work and in his garden. He started taking regular exercise, a sign that his legs would support him again. But Napoleon again became seriously ill towards the end of December 1818. The manifestations included tachycardia, chills, fever, and the old trouble from the legs. In the night between January 16 and 17, 1819, his life was threatened, he lost consciousness several times, and Dr. Stokoe was summoned. (He had been asked to become the Emperor's household physician the week before.) In his bulletins, Stokoe stated that he had found the patient in a state of extreme exhaustion, his complexion was yellow and he had pains in the region of the liver and in the shoulder. There was excruciating headache, vertigo and fainting fits. Some improvements took place when the patient began to sweat profusely. Similar attacks recurred the next night and the next. Stokoe issued three bulletins about Napoleon's health, and these so displeased the Governor, Sir Hudson Lowe, that Stokoe was constrained to leave St. Helena. So on January 22, 1819, Napoleon again found himself without a physician. His health nevertheless improved, and in the latter half of 1819 he was busily at work every morning from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. supervising the extensive landscaping projects he was undertaking in his garden. He could now walk with a stick, had recovered his former good temper, and conversed pleasantly and cheerfully with his companions. Apart from a few brief dispositions, this good health lasted for fifteen months.
However, a new long period of uninterrupted ill-health began on Sept. 18, 1820, marked by at least six intercurrent attacks of violent illness with severe and acute symptoms, but during the intervals of remission Napoleon's health improved day by day even though some of the symptoms persisted. During these periods of convalescence he could be up and about and also, albeit with tottering steps, go for short strolls in the garden.
According to Dr. Antommarchi's case notes, the acute attacks were accompanied by the following symptoms: headache; dyspnoea; weak, rapid and irregular pulse; ice-cold feet and legs; gastric pains; loss of appetite; somnolence that seemed refractory to treatment; yellow conjunctivae; yellow complexion; excessive paleness; dark rings under the eyes; coated tongue; burning thirst; tachycardia; tremor; nervous dry cough; vertigo; vomiting; sensation of heat in the viscera; pain in the legs and from the liver, sternum and shoulder regions; constipation and diarrhoea; spasmodic contractions of triceps; remarkably weak legs; restlessness; nightmares; exanthemata; loose teeth; bleeding gums; insomnia; hardness of hearing; extreme hypersensitivity to light; impaired vision; very severe general exhaustion.
On March 22, 1821, Napoleon's disease changed character, with constant severe vomiting supervening. This was doubtless because he had been prescribed and - without knowing it - taken tartar emetic. Accordingly, antimony poisoning was now an added complication. A remission lasting for two and a half weeks occurred in the beginning of April 1821, and Napoleon took this opportunity to write his last will and testament.
Late at night on April 4, 1821, there was a severe relapse with typical manifestations of acute antimony poisoning. Additional relapses occurred over the next few days. However, a moderate improvement took place on May 3. In the afternoon of that day Napoleon unknowingly took a large dose of calomel. Thirty minutes before midnight he had copious stools with the appearance of tar. Additional evacuations of blood occurred on May 4. He died on May 5, 1821, after lying absolutely motionless for about 24 hours.
At the post-mortem examination the stomach was full of black blood and the gastric mucosa was very badly corroded. These findings were probably sequels of the calomel given on May 3 rather than of arsenic. On the other hand, the following signs of arsenic poisoning were encountered: enlarged and hardened liver, enlarged spleen, fluid effusions in the pleurae, bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes degenerated and in suppuration, loss of all body hair, large fat deposits under the skin and in the abdomen.
Napoleon was not embalmed. Yet, when his coffin was opened in 1840, those present were astonished at finding him extremely well preserved.
In the light of the foregoing, it seems that on St. Helena Napoleon suffered from chronic arsenic poisoning with intervening periods of acute arsenic poisoning. In such circumstances, we deemed it interesting to apply the activation technique in a study of Napoleon's hairs from the period on St. Helena. Through the courtesy of M. le Commandant Henry Lachouque, the great French expert on Napoleon's life and the organizer of the permanent Napoleonic exhibitions on St. Helena and in the French Army Museum, hair taken from the Emperor Napoleon I's head, probably on the day after his death, has been made available to us.
The hair sample thus obtained was sent to the Department of Forensic Medicine at the University of Glasgow, where it was examined using an activation analysis technique (Smith, 1959) as follows. The hair sample was weighted (1.72 mgm.) and sealed in a polythene container. It and a standard arsenic solution sealed in a silica ampoule were irradiated by thermal neutrons for one day at 1012 neutrons/cm.2/sec. in a nuclear reactor at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell. Thereafter the sample was returned and the arsenic extracted with added carrier arsenic by a modified Gutzeit technique. The activity from the sample was compared with that from the standard arsenic sample and the arsenic content calculated.
The value found for the sample of hair was 10.38 parts per million. This is high by comparison with the normal mean arsenic content of about 0.8 p.p.m. Unfortunately, it was not possible to make any distribution studies as no further samples were available. It is impossible to tell from the value alone whether the arsenic was evenly distributed (as expected in continuous exposure) or located in one point (as would be the case in a single large dose exposure). This investigation shows the great advantage of activation analysis when only very small quantities of sample are available.