# Christensen 2016: Hartnell's time machine: 170-year-old nails reveal severe zinc deficiency played a greater role than lead in the demise of the Franklin Expedition

> Jennie R. Christensen, Joyce M. McBeth, Nicole J. Sylvain et al., 2016. 1 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The zinc-deficiency counter to the…

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[Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[Franklin expedition (HMS Erebus and HMS Terror)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/franklin-expedition)Christensen 2016

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# Hartnell's time machine: 170-year-old nails reveal severe zinc deficiency played a greater role than lead in the demise of the Franklin Expedition

Jennie R. Christensen, Joyce M. McBeth, Nicole J. Sylvain et al., 2016. _Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 16, 430–440_.

Synchrotron mapping of John Hartnell's thumbnail and toenail shows severe zinc deficiency, which would have weakened his immunity, and lead within the normal range until his last weeks, when starvation released stored lead into the blood.

**Franklin expedition (HMS Erebus and HMS Terror)Secondary source** Articledoi: **[10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.11.042](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.11.042)** Checked against the original0

## What it's used for here

The zinc-deficiency counter to the lead theory.

## Cited by on this site 1 record

[The Franklin expedition (HMS Erebus and HMS Terror)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/franklin-expedition)

The mystery article

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## Cite it

```
Christensen, J. R., McBeth, J. M., Sylvain, N. J., Spence, J., & Chan, H. M. (2016). Hartnell's time machine: 170-year-old nails reveal severe zinc deficiency played a greater role than lead in the demise of the Franklin Expedition. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 16, 430–440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.11.042
```

[Find it at doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.11.042)

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