Chronic arsenic poisoning

ABSTRACT

In response to a report in the press that the people of village Badarpur were having some mysterious disease which manifested as gastro-intestinal complaints, weakness, dew drop hypo and hyper- pigmentation of the skin and hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles, the village was surveyed and investigated for suspected chronic arsenic poisoning. Out of 57 members of 8 families, 28 [16 males and 12 females] had the above mentioned complaints. The duration of the symptoms was 1 to 4 years [mean 2.75 years]. Hair and nails of a few patients, the soil, fruits, vegetables and source of drinking water was tested for the arsenic contents and arsenic was found to be present in the hair and nails of all the patients in the water source of the families. All tests i.e. blood complete examination, urine complete examination, liver function tests, chest X-ray, electro cardiogram, total serum proteins, albumin globulin ratio and Mantoux test were normal except the heamoglobin level was low in all the subjects: