Abstract

In countries where the consumption of chillies is high, the grinding of dried red chillies into a fine powder is a new industry. The majority of workers employed in this process suffer from sneezing, watering of the nose, and cough, all of which are maximal at the beginning of their employment. They develop tolerance within a variable period, after which this triad of symptoms occurs only when the atmosphere becomes heavily contaminated with chilli-powder or on inhalation of the volatilized capsaicin which is liberated when the roasted chillies are being ground. A burning sensation of the skin also occurs in most of the workers, especially when the skin is moist. Loss of weight is another common feature. All these symptoms are temporary, last only during the period of exposure, and do not produce radiological changes.