She had used all aluminum utensils in her cooking for years. Discarding the utensils, all of the symptoms lessened in severity and in two months time she was greatly improved. A maid in the employ of this patient had attacks of indigestion for about two years; medical treatment gave only temporary relief. The pain, including nausea without any vomiting, would come on a few hours after eating to be relieved by eating again. Incidentally, her indigestion disappeared as if by magic subsequent to the disuse of aluminum dishes.
In Dr. Coopers own case, compressive headaches on waking mornings made work laborious. A feeling of looseness of the upper teeth with sensitiveness of the gums when compressing the jaws. For two years, he had been troubled by an apparent looseness of the knee joints when either foot met unevenness in the ground. Stopping aluminum resulted in the loss of all of the above symptoms and in his own words, “I have been decidedly better mentally and physically”.
There prevailed a far-reaching malady of unknown origin in England. It was much discussed in the French medical journals, before and during Dr. Spiras ten years of study and observation on this matter, viz., four years on the continent, especially at Carlsbad, and six years work in England. Symptoms from all of the three groups occurred among the patients so afflicted. Of course it cannot be assumed that each and every case developed all the symptoms to the same marked degree.
The symptoms of one particular group predominated or there was found to be a few symptoms from all the three groups. However, constipation was present in almost every patient with gastrointestinal symptoms varying in character, including anorexia, furred tongue, nausea, retching, vomiting, borborygmi (noise of gas in bowels) and flatulence. Tympanites with firmness of the abdominal walls was very common; also frequent occurrence of colicky pain suggestive of gastric ulcer, colitis, appendicitis, etc.
The nervous group of symptoms were no less in importance. “They comprised depression, and even melancholia, loss of energy and general lassitude”.
The cutaneous manifestations of different forms and varieties occurred with greater frequency in England. Itching was present in nearly all forms. Sometimes intensive itching ushered in the skin changes; and later it decreased in severity. The skin lesions simulated eczema of all stages. There were found urticarias, boils, dermatitis in its varieties, furuncles, etc., and what seems peculiar and possibly distinctive is the frequency and the severity of the symptoms in the extremities, the hands and feet.
It was common to find skin diseases anatomically related to these parts – lesions ordinarily attributed to be vasomotor neurosis or fungus in origin. However, no fungus could be detected and the vaso-motor neurosis would be absent. Where the fungus was found, local treatment of any kind failed to make an impression. In fact so many forms of maladies pursued a chronic course, defying all known remedial measures, and in addition to this, they all had in common the triad symptom- complex, viz., gastrointestinal, cutaneous and neuromental, all of which strongly suggested some unknown causative factor.
Here was a challenge. By self-observation, Dr. Spira correlated the symptoms in his own case with those he had so untiringly investigated, the character of which has just been summarily described.
That he might solve this puzzling situation, he chose the “empiric method of elimination”. At first each article of food in his own case was gradually struck off of the list, even all water was boiled before using. To avoid possible contamination from cistern water, as in bathing, the cisterns in his house were emptied and cleansed. Theory of an organic poison and food idiosyncrasies cast aside, attention was given to the utensils in which food was prepared.
Now as a fact, all of the cooking utensils used in the house were made of aluminum. In as much as they were kept clean by soda or special cleansing powders, for the sake of experiment, only water and brush was used. Consequently the gastrointestinal symptoms and “the rebellious skin disease eczema diagnosed ringworm and the affections very similar to dhobi-itch came to a standstill”. Dr. Spira continues by saying his improvement was more pronounced by the removal altogether of the aluminum cooking utensils – tinned foods, hard aluminized or chlorinated tap water running through lead pipes.
It must therefore be assumed that all of the symptoms were due to a poison contained in the aluminum utensils. For medication, he used high grade charcoal and an aperient to absorb and eliminate the accumulated poisons. A restricted diet was used, consisting mainly of fruit and vegetables, raw and cooked, potatoes, baked with their jackets, and soft-boiled eggs. Tap water was excluded in boiling the food. Following this same course of treatment with the puzzling protracted cases, after every other method had failed, in his own words – it resulted in the most rapid disappearance of all the symptoms, including the skin manifestations.
COMPOSITION OF ALUMINUM UTENSILS.
As a metal, aluminum is so tenacious in its chemical affinity that its reduction and refining process from its ore is performed by electrolysis. The commercial product is derived in part from the bauxite ore which contains impurities, chiefly silicon as high as 7 per cent, iron oxide and titanium oxide. Another ore, cryolite, carries aluminum as a fluorid. The cryolite has proved too expensive, so a synthetic compound is used for the present. This artificial cryolite contains comparatively more fluorine than the natural mineral, viz., four molecules NaF as compared with three molecules NaF.
During the reduction-refining process of the bauxite ore, the mass comes in direct contact with the carbon lining of the furnace box. This lining is made of petroleum coke, with a suitable oil or tar binder rammed in place. The anodes suspended in the mass are of like composition as that of the lining (cathode).
Now the alumina obtained from the bauxite is dissolved with the liquid cryolite, then the salts of calcium and more aluminum fluorids are added. Again the mass comes in contact with the carbon of the cathode and anodes which disintegrate into the aluminum and its alloys. Thus, with the passing of a direct current through the mixture, aluminum is separated, together with some impurities.
Before marketing the reduction product, grading is attempted according to the amount of impurities. Almost limitless in number, the chief ones are iron, silicon, carbides, copper, sulphides, sodium, fluorines and sometimes manganese, zinc, lead and antimony. The sandcast cooking utensil is now preferred by the manufacturers because to is appearance of durability and to some degree is more substantial.
DISINTEGRATION OF COOKING ALUMINUM UTENSILS.
It would seem that this should not be disputed. Observant housewives ofttimes remark that the metal tarnishes, roughens not only by scraping but also by pitting. To make a simple test, boil drinking water thirty minutes in an aluminum dish, pour the water into a glass jar and allow it to stand until cold. Aluminum, with impurities as a precipitate, is seen in the bottom of the jar. Repeat the boiling water test in pyrex or in enamel ware and the water remains clear.
Aluminum is attacked by acids and is soluble in alkalis. Sour cherries cooked in the metal dish and allowed to stand many hours will cause pitting of the metal.
Carbonate of soda added to vegetables, which is frequently done in their cooking, gives a dull effect to the metal and creates a dark scum on the sides of the dish. The solution responds decidedly to the test of aluminum. Some manufacturers caution their customers against the use of soda, or any cleanser containing an alkali, on their aluminum ware.
M.I. Makushenko, in Factors Affecting The Corrosion Of Aluminum, leaves no room to doubt the poor wearing qualities of aluminum cooking utensils:.
The corrosion of aluminum by moisture and natural water depends upon external factors as well as upon physico-chemical properties of the metal. Weakly, alkaline water effects the quickest destruction of aluminum; hard, neutral spring water affects the aluminum but slightly. Moistening the aluminum and drying in air produces a deep deterioration. Addition of salt or soda increases the corroding properties of water, and these compounds are the main cause of the rapid deterioration of aluminum. Some foodstuffs, like boiled rice, after being kept a long time in aluminum vessels, have a deep effect. Of the technical impurities in aluminum, the resistance to corrosion is lowered most by copper, iron, and zinc. Non-metallic impurities (carbides, sulphides and fluorines – V.T.C.) likewise lower the resistance of corrosion, as do internal defects such as blow- holes, porosity, etc. Polishing has a favorable influence.
ABSORPTION, DISTRIBUTION AND STORAGE OF ALUMINUM.
IN THE ANIMAL BODY.
As a prelude, it is well to mention here that aluminum is found in the human body in a very limited extent. Reports from physiochemists differ on how dispensable the metal is to life processes. The amount present in many instances is barely detectable. Therefore, in the human body it is termed a “trace element” and little understood as to its function.
