Abstract

As a young general practitioner, I started a medical group in North Limburg in 1977. In this region, along the Albert Canal and the Kempen Canal, many non-ferrous factories had established after the conquest of Congo at the beginning of the last century. The ores arrived from Congo in the port of Antwerp. The establishment of non-ferrous factories along the canals made the supply of ores possible and the population along the canals consisted of poor farmers, so that cheap labour was available. In this region in the beginning of 1900 four factories were established with the production of zinc, copper, arsenic and even cobalt.