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A fatal case of pepper poisoning
T Snyman1, M J Stewart, V Steenkamp
1Indigenous Toxicology Unit, Department of Chemical Pathology, SAIMR, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Forensic Science International
|December 14, 2001
Abstract:
An 8 month old infant died as the result of administration of a traditional remedy, given orally as an infusion of a red powder. The symptoms on admission were coughing with diarrhoea and vomiting. Analysis of the powder using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) confirmed the suspicion of capsaicin. Pepper preparations, which are used as traditional medicines, are highly toxic and their use on infants should be discouraged.