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150
Antimony Poisoning due to the Use of
Enamelled Vessels.
In February, 1933, a Memorandum was issued
by the Ministry of Health on antimony poisoning.
This Memorandum described three outbreaks of
antimony poisoning which occurred in Newcastle,
Folkestone and London respectively and were due
to the storage or preparation of lemonade in
enamelled vessels not intended or suitable for the
purpose.
All the persons affected recovered but the
symptoms were those of irritant poisoning and
were very acute and painful. In the Newcastle
outbreak, which occurred in 1928, 70 employees
of a local firm drank lemonade made and stored
overnight in white enamelled buckets; practically
all became ill with an acute burning sensation in
the stomach, colicky pains, vomiting and collapse
and 58 were so ill that they had to go to the
infirmary. The lemonade was made of lemonade
crystals, consisting of sugar, tartaric acid and
bicarbonate of soda.
In the Folkestone outbreak in 1929, 30 persons
becamc ill half an hour after taking lemonade
made from fresh lemons prepared in large white
enamelled iron jugs.
The London outbreak occurred in 1932 at the
Nurses' Christmas dinner in a large hospital, and
the lemonade was prepared from fresh lemons;
65 persons became ill. The lemonade in this case
was prepared in white enamelled iron jugs.
The enamel contains oxide of antimony which
is dissolved by the citric acid of the lemons or
the tartaric acid of the lemonade crystals. Similarly
vinegar or acetic acid will dissolve out antimony.