This is supposed to be a family peculiarity. Napoleon's heart-beat was about forty to the minute, and he died of cancer of the stomach. No doubt the mental strain under which he lived had a depressing effect upon his digestion and heart action. There is no question but that he kept up a constant gastric irritation from the anxiety he must have had concerning his activities. His life was so intense that his nerve energy was drained away, enervating the stomach and bowels, When he ate, he did not have the nerve energy to do perfect digesting; hence more or less fermentation, decomposition, and toxin poisoning took place. This produced hardening of the tissues, especially ulceration and cancer of the stomach. This is the price that an ambitious man pays for success.