President Zachery Taylor died in office in July of 1850. The official cause of death is listed as gastroenteritis. Some historians and descendants contended that President Taylor had actually been assassinated by poisoning his iced tea with arsenic, for his opposition to extending slavery into California. As a result, his body was exhumed in 1991 for testing. Hair and fingernail samples were analyzed by neutron activation analysis at the High Flux Isotope Reactor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. ORNL reported the analytical findings to the Kentucky Medical Examiner, who proclaimed the arsenic levels were several hundred times lower than would have been expected had the president been poisoned.
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 11:03:29 -0600
From: "Michael G. Stabin" <
michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu>
Subject: forensic science
I had an interesting question from a student during a presentation to a jr.
high class yesterday - what applications are there for radiation or
radioactivity in forensic science? I am aware of a couple of ideas, but I
don't know how widely they are really applied. Any feedback would be
appreciated. Thanks.
Mike
Michael G. Stabin, PhD, CHP
Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
Vanderbilt University
1161 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37232-2675
Phone (615) 343-0068
Fax (615) 322-3764
Pager (615) 835-5153
e-mail
michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.eduinternet www.doseinfo-radar.com