POISON PALL
The recently published Annual Health Bulletin of the ministry of health in Sri Lanka has highlighted the debilitating effect of poisoning in the island. In 1995, there were 62,973 cases of poisoning in state hospitals, pesticides topping the list of agents that were responsible for poisoning. In the seven districts of Matale, Hambantola, Mannar, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Moneragala, poisoning has been determined as the leading cause of hospital deaths. Such deaths usually result from neurotoxic effects.