BRONCHIAL ASTHMA AND OTHER ALLERGIC MANIFESTATIONS IN PHARMACISTS

Abstract

There is a considerable accumulation of data in the literature on occupational idiosyncrasies, but comparatively little has been written concerning pharmacists and their tendency to acquire protein sensitization to the organic preparations that they handle. In view of the widespread interest that has been aroused by the subject of allergy and asthma in general and the ever increasing volume of literature on this subject, the scarcity of reports dealing with the subject under discussion is indeed surprising. Idiosyncrasy following the ingestion of various drugs has been observed and discussed since the early days of medical science. This paper, however, deals only with the allergic manifestations due to contact with and inhalation of drugs. In 1920, I¹reported a case of true anaphylactic bronchial asthma in a pharmacist, aged 29, due to the inhalation of powdered ipecac engrafted on a recurrent seasonal bronchitis. Skin tests performed with the many drugs