The coolies, earth-coloured and mute, crouched reverently some twenty or thirty yards away, and the Babu, the slack of his thin gear snapping like a marking-flag in the chill breeze, stood by with an air of happy proprietorship.
Inhaling crystalline silica can lead to serious, sometimes fatal illnesses including silicosis, lung cancer, tuberculosis (in those with silicosis), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In addition, silica exposure has been linked to other illnesses including renal disease and other cancers.
Inorganic forms are more toxic than organic forms of arsenic; generally arsenite (+3) is more toxic than arsenate (+5). Signs of inorganic arsenic toxicity include dermatosis, hematopoietic depression, liver damage, sensory disturbances, peripheral neuritis, anorexia, and skin and internal cancers.