DANGEROUS POWDER: Two traditional Chinese medicine clinics and a supplier allegedly sold a mercury ore powder against various ailments, which sickened patients

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 08, 2020
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter

Authorities yesterday detained three key suspects in a case involving Taichung-based traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) businesses, after seizing materials from three companies on Thursday as part of an investigation into mercury and lead poisoning allegedly due to medicinal powder that contained cinnabar.

The investigation in the past week focused on Sheng Tang Chinese Medicine Clinic (盛唐中醫) owner Lu Shih-ming (呂世明), Jiu Fu Chinese Medicine Clinic (九福中醫) practitioner Hung Chang-hung (洪彰宏) and Shin Long Co (欣隆藥業) owner Ou Kuo-liang (歐國樑).

The Taichung District Court ruled to have the trio detained, citing the possibility of destruction of evidence and collusion on testimony, as they faced pending charges of document forgery, fraud and for breaches of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (藥事法).

Taichung City Health Bureau officials said that 60 people who had received treatment at Sheng Tang have been tested for mineral poisoning, with 16 confirmed to have lead poisoning. Poisoning with mercury was also suspected in some of the cases.    [FULL  STORY]