Facts About Antimony

Good and evil are easy to spot in Westerns; the good guys wear the white hats, the bad guys wear black. In the world of science, it's just not that simple. In fact, you'll find quite a few substances with dual personalities; a little bit can help or cure, a little bit more can maim or kill.

Antimony, or stibnite, is a chemical element. To paraphrase Merriam-Webster, it is a metalloid that is often used in alloys, semiconductors, and flame-retardant substances. It is added to many metals to enhance hardening. It can also be toxic.

Potentially harmful exposure could occur by direct contact with items containing antimony, by inhalation (if items containing alimony compounds are burned, for example), or by accidental ingestion of parts (or the entire thing, if you have a dog). Short term exposure is best detected through urine samples, while long term exposure will be detectable through blood and hair samples as well as urine. Symptoms of poisoning are similar to those of arsenic; in the short term, or with only limited exposure, dizziness, depression, and headaches, and in the long term violent vomiting, seizures, and death. Prolonged skin contact may result in a condition called lichen planus.

Antimony was used as far back as Egyptian times. Most of us are familiar with images of Egyptian figures whose eyes were heavily rimmed in black; the substance is referred to as kohl, and it remains a descriptive term in today's cosmetic industry, although it refers to the color of the eye makeup (kohl black) as opposed to its original chemical formula, which was antimony trisulphide. Antimony was also used in some pottery glazes, with the possibility that it may have leached into food or drink, causing neurological problems or illness. This was actually sought after in Roman times and during the Renaissance; wine (which is acidic) would be deliberately left in antimony cups for several days, and then drunk as a sort of health elixir. Perhaps the neurological side effects felt like a "buzz".

It has also been speculated that Mozart was an unwitting victim of antimony poisoning, as he was fond of taking it as a remedy for his many health problems, and it was administered during his final illness to relieve his fever.

In livestock, antimonial compounds are still used to treat various parasites. In rare cases, butter of antimony (solution of antimony trichloride) can be used as a caustic agent to remove malignant or diseased tissue. Those of you familiar with James Herriot will recall that some farmers used it to "burn off" the horn buds of calves; unfortunately, in the case he speaks of, the resulting scabs fell into the feed buckets and poisoned the calves.

Beneficial medical uses were found for humans as well. My 1928 copy of Materia Medica and Therapeutics for Nurses has two entries for antimony. The first describes antimony potassium tartarate ( more commonly known as tartar emetic) as an effective emetic, expectorant, and diaphoretic. In other words, it will induce vomiting, thin secretions and clear phlegm, and increase perspiration. Conversely, the second entry is under "Mineral and Other Inorganic Poisons". Symptoms are "burning heat, constriction of throat, incessant vomiting, pain, cramps, delirium and collapse". This illustrates the concept that a small amount of a substance can be therapeutic, while too much can be deadly.

One fact I haven't been able to substantiate; that antimony was used to enhance the louche effect in absinthe, and contributed to some of the negative health effects associated with drinking it. I know I've read it somewhere, but haven't been able to locate the source. I did, however, find a paper published in 2008 which gave the results of chemical analysis of samples of vintage absinthe. The presence of antimony was noted as "inconspicuous".

Currently, antimony potassium tartrate is used to treat infections by the parasite Schistosoma japonicum. Antimony sodium gluconate is used to treat both schistosomiasis and leishmaniasis; the former being caused by a parasite carried by a freshwater snail, the latter by a parasite transmitted to humans via the bite of sand flies.

In the world of homeopathy, there are simply too many forms and uses of antimony to describe here, and they are used for everything from cancer treatments to gastrointestinal ailments to mood disorders. I simply cannot weigh in on their efficacy, since I've never used them; under resources, I've included a link to a comprehensive site for further exploration of the subject. You might also consult Boericke's Materia Medica, or type in the search term "antimonium metallicum". I would, however, be cautious about ordering something like that online, as you have no idea what the concentration of alimony might be, or what sort of conditions it was prepared under. As always, caveat emptor.

Sources: "Chemical Composition Of Vintage Preban Absinthe With Special Reference To
Thujone, Fenchone, Pinocamphone, Methanol, Copper and Antimony Concentrations". Dirk
W. Lachenmeier, et. al. Journal of Agric Food Chem, 2008, 56 (9)

Foote, John. Materia Medica and Therapeutics For Nurses, Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1928.

Glanze, Walter D. Mosby Medical Encyclopedia Revised, Penguin Books USA, New York 1992

McCallum, R. Ian. Antimony In Medical History, Pentland Press, 1999

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