“Alexander Litvinenko, the ex-Russian spy who said he was the victim of a poisoning, has died in hospital.”
Litvinenko fell ill on November 1 after a series of meetings in central London. Initial reports from UCH at the weekend said Mr Litvinenko had been poisoned with the heavy metal thallium.
Some of you may know that my father was also poisoned with Thallium, 20 years ago. I was 13. He was taken into hospital the same day he fell ill but it took weeks for his hair to fall out and he spent 6 months in a coma. Litvinenko lost his hair quickly in comparison and I suppose he might have had a much higher dose as a result.
Wikipedia says:
Amongst the distinctive effects of thallium poisoning are loss of hair (which ironically led it to its initial use as a depilatory, before its toxicity was properly appreciated), and damage to peripheral nerves (victims may experience a sensation of walking on hot coals). Thallium was once an effective murder weapon before its effects became understood and an antidote (prussian blue) discovered.