In ‘No Medical Evidence for Poisoning of Srila Prabhupada’, a general overview of the symptoms of arsenicosis was given, and their marked absence in the condition of Srila Prabhupada discussed. Also presented was evidence from medical and scientific publications detailing the clear presence of signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus type 2 with accompanying kidney disease in Prabhupada’s physical condition.

This document is the first in a series that will address more directly the claims published in the book ‘Someone Has Poisoned Me’, (hereafter referred to as SHPM), by Nityananda Das. We will begin by examining each of the ‘symptoms’ given in the Health Biography Analysis (chapter 32, page 226) of SHPM.

Cardiac:

Arsenic caused Srila Prabhupada’s heart to palpitate, quicken its beat, and become irregular in its beat, all noted in the health biography.

-SHPM

Cardiac Symptoms - Arsenical or Diabetic?

The two major types of arsenic poisoning are acute (appearance of symptoms within hours of a large oral dose) and chronic (gradual onset of symptoms over several weeks following repeated small doses or environmental exposure). It is important to note that the clinical signs of the two types of arsenic intoxication are quite different. We carried out extensive research into more than 50 medical publications, including most of the 24 medical references cited in SHPM. With few exceptions, the references to arsenic-induced cardiac irregularities, especially ventricular dysrhythmia, relate to acute rather than chronic poisoning. Goldfrank’s Toxocologic Emergencies gives the typical account of acute intoxication:

The symptoms of chronic poisoning are also commonly agreed on as being; a progressive symmetrical polyneuropathy (gradual loss of feeling, pins and needles in both legs beginning with the feet), dermatological features (scaly rash, dappling of trunk, thickening of palms and soles), Mees lines (white lines of arsenic deposited in fingernails), nausea and general weakness.^2,3,12,13

Therefore, the overwhelming experience of experts is that while cardiac effects are often seen in cases of acute intoxication, in chronic poisoning cardiovascular symptoms are far less noticeable, and are extremely unlikely to be seen in the absence of the other more prominent neurological and dermatological symptoms of arsenic intoxication.

Nityananda Das’s hypothesis is that Srila Prabhupada was given small doses of arsenic over a long period, thus producing symptoms of chronic, rather than acute poisoning. It is therefore inconsistent with the literature to attribute Prabhupada’s cardiac disturbances to chronic arsenicism, in the absence of the other symptoms such as symmetrical polyneuropathy, dermatological changes and nail bed irregularities.

While the literature doesn’t support a diagnosis of chronic arsenical cardiac complications without dermatological or neurological signs, there is abundant literature linking diabetes with cardiovascular disease, especially heart attack and stroke.

As discussed in the previous paper, it was common knowledge within ISKCON since 1969 that Prabhupada was a diabetic. He confirmed this fact himself and Dr McIrving who treated Prabhupada at Watford Peace Memorial Hospital in 1977 also gave the same diagnosis.

The following points about diabetic coronary heart disease are also interesting to note.

That Srila Prabhupada lived an extremely pure life, never smoked or took alcohol, nor had any other identifiable causes of heart disease is yet another indication that his diabetes was the cause of his repeated heart attacks and stroke.

Prabhupada confirmed the fact that such diabetic heart attacks are generally severe and life threatening, citing his own experience.

To say that Srila Prabhupada’s heart problems of 1977 were due to arsenic neglects to acknowledge the fact that he had displayed these clinical signs for at least ten years prior to this (refer to cardiac health history below). In fact, details of his symptoms recorded independently in 1967 and 1977 display a remarkable similarity in describing his condition.

Therefore, to say that chronic arsenicosis was the cause of Srila Prabhupada’s heart palpitations and other cardiovascular problems of 1977 is to disregard both the available medical literature and the clear historical facts of identical symptoms recorded since 1965. Rather, the cardiac traumas experienced by Srila Prabhupada from 1965 through to 1977 are clearly attributable to diabetes mellitus, which had gone untreated for many years, if not decades.

History of Cardiac Symptoms 1967- 1977

In 1965, before Prabhupada had set foot on American soil, he suffered two heart attacks on the ship taking him to the United States. Again in 1967 he suffered a major heart attack and stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body and took two years for him to recover from. Throughout the years to come, Prabhupada experienced heart problems on and off with palpitations and weakness of the heart reported throughout the early seventies up to the year of his passing in 1977. The following is a partial record of Srila Prabhupada’s history of cardiac illness from 1965 through to 1977.

Last night he had difficulty on account of heart pain. ⁸

Discussion

Attributing the 1977 cardiac symptoms to arsenicosis brings up some other interesting questions:

Is Nityananda Das suggesting that the heart attacks that happened prior to Prabhupada’s coming to America were also due to arsenic poisoning?

What about the palpitations and attacks in 1967, why would neophyte disciples want to poison their newfound spiritual master they were so dependent on?

If Nityananda Das accepts that these clinical manifestations were simply due to Srila Prabhupada’s own systemic illness, then why attribute the same symptoms to arsenicosis when they reappear ten years later?

Rather than advance into the realms of medical conjecture, the obvious diagnosis is to simply attribute the heart attacks and palpitations to long untreated diabetes. The doctor who personally treated Prabhupada confirmed this prognosis, and it is supported by all available literature. There is clearly no need to look to some extraneous cause for the cardiac symptoms of 1977, when Prabhupada’s health had further deteriorated and he was more prone to be affected by these cardiac weaknesses.

The argument may be raised that the cardiac symptoms are just one of many clinical features that point to arsenic poisoning. However, we shouldn’t let this smokescreen get in the way of an unbiased appraisal of each particular symptom with reference to the medical history of the patient and current literature. As we progress to question each symptoms validity, it may well be found that there are actually very few, if any, specific signs and symptoms of arsenic poisoning in the health history of Srila Prabhupada.

Conclusion

The diagnosis of arsenical cardiomyopathy, in the absence of all the major indicative signs of chronic exposure such as polyneuropathy, skin thickening and pigmentation, nail lines etc. cannot at all be supported by the medical literature. The fact that Nityananda Das is neither a medical doctor responsible to a professional board or research scientist answerable to a university faculty allows him to make such claims with relative immunity, at least from a professional standpoint. However, the impartial reader would be well advised to regard such claims with caution in light of Nityananda Das’s lack of academic credentials and questionable ability to impartially represent the available medical literature.

References

1. Goldfrank’s Toxologic Emergencies. 6^th Ed. Appleton and Lange.
2. Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals and Carcinogens. Vol 1. Sittig, Marshall. 1991.
3. Phrenic Neuropathy in Arsenic Poisoning. Bansal SK, Haldar N, Dhand UK, Chopra JS. Chest 1991;100(3):878-880.
4. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine. 14^th Ed. McGraw-Hill.
5. Abhirama Das- Statement on Prabhupada’s Health History 1998
6. Type 2 diabetes: Causes, complications, and new screening recommendations. Butler R. et al. Geriatrics 1998;53:47-54
7. Srila Prabhupada Lilamrita. Satsvarupa Das Goswami.
8. TKG’s Diary- Prabhupada’s Final Days. Tamal Krishna Goswami.
9. The Jaladuta Diary. BBT. 1998
10. Servant of the Servant. Tamal Krishna Goswami.
11. Conversations with Srila Prabhupada. BBT.
12. Further Scientific Evidence of the Non-Poisonous Death of Napolean Bonaparte. Corso PF, Hindmarsh T. Sc Prog 1996;79(2):89-96
13. Medical Toxicology — Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Poisoning. Ellenhorn, M. 1988