Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

A study on past toxicological activities in Singapore enabled us to capture the trends of poisons abused in this country over the last 108 years. Until the early sixties, corrosive alkali and acids, alcohol (poisoning cases), inorganic chemicals, heavy metals and plant alkaloids were the mainstay of poisons principally used. The seventies and eighties saw a swing towards pharmaceuticals. The 1988–89 data gave alcohol (poisoning cases), pharmaceuticals, household items such as detergents, hypochlorite and antiseptic, carbon monoxide, paraquat, malathion, organic solvents (toluene and xylenes) and narcotics as the mainstay of poisons encountered. The last two classes of poisons reflect the continuing problems of glue sniffing and narcotics abuse facing Singapore.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Annual Reports of Department of Chemistry (1969–1974). Singapore.

Annual Reports of Department of Scientific Services (1975–1989). Singapore.

Brooks

A. C.

(1938, 1948, 1950 – 1952) Annual Report on the Government Analyst's Department, Straits Settlements. Singapore, The Government Printing Office.

Burtt

A. W.

(1953–1955) Individual Annual Reports of the Department of Chemistry, Colony of Singapore. Singapore, The Government Printing Office.

Chao

T. C.

Yap

C. Y.

(1967) A case of Mercury Poisoning. J. For. Sci. 12, 68–76.

Chao

T. C.

(1971a) Death from Poisons in Singapore 1960–69. Med. Sci. Law 11, 41–5.

Chao

T. C.

(1971b) Death by Organo-phosphorus Poisoning in Singapore 1960–1969. Singapore Med. J. 12, 77–9.

Chao

T. C.

(1972) Paraquat Poisoning. Ann. Acad. Med. 1, 68–73.

Chao

T. C.

(1987) Accidents and Poisoning in Childhood. The Singapore Family Physician 8, 132–7.

10.

Chao

T. C.

(1988) Forensic Medicine in Singapore. Amer. J. For. Med. and Path. 9, 179–81.

11.

Chia

C. L.

(1959) Annual Report of The Department of Chemistry and Inspectorate of Dangerous and Hazardous Materials. Singapore, Government Printing Office.

12.

Chia

C. L.

(1968) Annual Report of the Department of Chemistry. Singapore, Government Printing Office.

13.

Cowap

J. C.

(1929–1934) Individual Annual Reports on the Government Analyst's Department, Straits Settlements. Singapore, The Government Printing Office.

14.

Cravey

R. H.

Baselt

R. C.

(ed) (1981) Introduction to Forensic Toxicology. California, Biomedical Publications.

15.

Jackson

(1956–1958) Reports of the Department of Chemistry and Inspectorate of Dangerous and Hazardous Materials, Singapore. Singapore, The Government Printing Office.

16.

Jamieson

(1935–1937, 1939, 1946–1949) Individual Annual Reports on the Department of Chemistry, Straits Settlements. Singapore, The Government Printing Office.

17.

P. S.

(ed) (1986) Singapore Facts and Pictures. Singapore, Information Division, Ministry of Communications and Information.

18.

Seah

H. C.

Chao

T. C.

(1975) Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Singapore. Singapore Med. J. 16, 174–6.

19.

Southall

C. L.

(1945) Report on B.M.A. Chemical Laboratory, Singapore.

Common Poisons in Singapore – Past and Present

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References