LEAD IN “AKOZ”
Akoz is a mineral product sold by the Natura Company of San Francisco, and said to possess most remarkable medicinal properties.
A circular issued by the Natura Company begins thus:
“While scientists have been striving through the centuries to compound remedies for man’s various ills, Nature, greatest chemist of them all, has been working wonders in her crucibles and has achieved results far beyond man’s greatest expectation.”
“Nature’s chief handicap has been the difficulty of placing her gifts in the hands of those whom she would benefit. By accident or fate, as you will, one of Nature’s greatest medicinal products has just been discovered. It is the mineral given the name of Akoz by John D. Mackenzie, president and manager of the Natura Company of San Francisco, which is now giving this rare remedy of Nature to the public.”
The circular then describes how the power of the “rare remedy” to cure rheumatism is claimed to have been discovered and asserts that:
“Akoz was subjected to every known scientific test before being presented to the public. It was practically determined that the ore contained a new element having radium-like qualities but containing nothing poisonous or harmful.”
“After the curative virtues of Akoz for rheumatism, stomach trouble, eczema, catarrh, piles, ulcers and numerous other ailments had been fully established in chemical laboratory, hospital clinic, and the private practice of physicians in various parts of the world, Mr. Mackenzie effected the organization of the Natura Company.”
This product, put up in the form of “Akoz Medicinal Mineral Water, Akoz Ointment, Akoz Powder and Akoz Suppositories,” was submitted to the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry for consideration some years ago with the claims that “Akoz” itself consists essentially of zinc sulphid, barium sulphate and aluminum oxid. The submitted analysis did not declare the presence of lead or of uranium though “special tests” for the latter had been “run.” Without checking the claimed composition, the Council at that time refused recognition to Akoz because there was no evidence submitted for the very extravagant and altogether improbable therapeutic claims.
After the Council had concluded the consideration of Akoz a letter was received from a California physician stating that according to an analysis submitted to him Akoz contained 0.34 per cent. of lead in the form of lead sulphate. The correspondent held that, while the lead sulphate did not pass into solution, persons drinking the supernatant liquid from Akoz (the “medicinal mineral water” is made by adding Akoz to ordinary water) might inadvertently swallow some of the powder. He was inclined to believe that this might account for a case of lead poisoning which had been observed in a patient who had been taking Akoz.
Inasmuch as it has been demonstrated by Carlson and Woelfel (Carlson, A. J., and Woelfel, A.: Solubility of Lead Sulphate and Basic Lead Carbonate in Human Gastric Juice.... In Hygiene of the Painter’s Trade by Alice Hamilton, Bull. of U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics No. 120, May 13, 1913, pp. 22–32) that even small quantities of lead sulphate when taken into the system for a long time, have produced lead poisoning, the laboratory deemed it important that the products be examined for lead.
A specimen of “Akoz Powder” submitted to the Council by the Natura Company and contained in a sifter-top can was taken for analysis. The contents of the can were thoroughly mixed. To determine the presence of lead some of the powder was extracted with ammonium acetate solution.
Details of Analysis
Qualitative tests showed the presence of lead and sulphate in the ammonium acetate solution.
The presence of lead was demonstrated by the black precipitate with hydrogen sulphid, the yellow precipitate with potassium chromate and the typical yellowish crystalline precipitate with potassium iodin.
The presence of sulphates in the ammonium acetate solution was shown by the formation of a precipitate with barium chlorid solution and acetic acid.
Two 2 gm. samples (A and B) were taken for the quantitative determination of lead. Each was treated repeatedly with a saturated solution of ammonium acetate until the filtered ammonium acetate solution gave no appreciable precipitate with potassium chromate solution. The ammonium acetate extractions from each specimen were combined and treated with hydrogen sulphid, the precipitated lead sulphid filtered off and washed, and ignited with sulphuric acid at a low heat. The crucible with the residue of lead sulphate was cooled and weighed.
A yielded 0.0469 gm., or 2.34 per cent., lead sulphate.
B yielded 0.0440 gm., or 2.20 per cent., lead sulphate.
While the laboratory has no evidence to show that the amount of lead-sulphate thus found to be present is likely to prove harmful, the following cautionary letter was sent to the Natura Company:
“According to information which you sent to the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry your product “Akoz” does not contain lead. In view of reports received ascribing symptoms, resulting from the internal use of Akoz, to chronic lead poisoning, an examination of a specimen of Akoz Powder, which you sent to the Council, was made. This examination indicates the presence in Akoz Powder of about 2.2 per cent. lead sulphate. In view of the disastrous results likely to follow the internal use of products containing even small amounts of lead, the above is submitted to you for your consideration.”
No reply to the foregoing was received from the Natura Company.—(From Reports A. M. A. Chemical Laboratory, 1916, p. 103.)