A preliminary study of the effect of ingestion of gold on blood chemistry.

Ten milligram of pure gold foil was given by mouth for 16 days. Routine blood chemistry was done before and after gold therapy and repeated after 3 weeks of cessation of therapy. All the blood values were well within normal range and variations, except the enzymes-creatine phosphokinase and lactate dehydrogenase, which decreased substantially on gold foil ingestion indicating possible inhibition of these blood enzymatic activity by gold.