Overview

Fowler's Solution is a potassium [arsenic] solution that was prescribed as a general tonic from about 1786 to 1936. The carcinogenic nature of arsenic compounds caused numerous disastrous side effects including Cancer and [cirrhossis]. Some say Charles Darwin used it often.

Toxicological Perspective

Fowler's solution, also known as "Liquor Potassii Arenitis," Kali Arsenicosum, or Kali arseniatum, is a 1% solution of potassium arsenite, KH2AsO3. A Dr. Fowler of Stafford, England proposed its use in 1786 as a substitute for a patented medicine, "tasteless ague drop." It was prescribed in the United States until the late 1950s for a range of ailments including malaria, chorea, and syphilis.

Documented side effects of treatment with Fowler's solution include:

• cirrhosis of the liver
• idiopathic portal hypertension
• urinary bladder cancer
• skin cancers

External Links

• Fowler's Solution