Lead found in immigrants’ traditional medicines

Published 11:19 pm Tuesday, January 22, 2008

HOUSTON — Health departments around the country say traditional medicines used by many immigrants are the second most common source of lead poisoning in the U.S. — surpassed only by lead paint — and may account for tens of thousands of such cases among children each year.

Lead poisoning has been traced to remedies such as ghasard, greta, azarcon and rueda, powders that are given to treat constipation and contain as much as 90 percent lead; litargirio, used for such ills as foot fungus and body odor; and mahayogaraj gugullu, for high blood pressure.