Now there is evidence that some tonics can be positively harmful. The tonic also contains arsenic, although there are no therapeutic indications for it. The World Health Organization s tentative maximum acceptable daily intake of arsenic is 0.05 mg. Yet the recommended daily dose of Bayer s tonic provides 2.6 mg. of arsenic. Drinking two small bottles may be lifethreatening, while smaller doses can cause cancer, convulsions, muscle cramping, diarrhoea etc.
Strychnine also has no known therapeutic value.
The tonic is neither licensed nor marketed in West Germany, the country of origin. Arsenic would not be registered under German law because of its toxic effects. Australia s Medical Lobby for Appropriate Marketing has taken up this issue, writing an open letter to the pharmaceutical corporation asking for the withdrawal of the tonic. From Medical Lobby for Appropriate Marketing Inc . Newsletter November 1986.