It was synthesized for the first time in 1949 by Ernst A.H. Friedheim by complexation of acetarsol with 2,3-dimercaptopropanol (British anti-Lewisite)[2] and has been demonstrated to be effective against amoebiasis and yaws.

It was marketed a few years later by Endo Products (Balarsen, Tablets, 0.1 g).

[3] Among trivalent organoarsenicals, arsthinol was considered very well tolerated.

[5][6] Arsthinol has IUPAC name of N-[2-hydroxy-5-[4-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3,2-dithiarsolan-2-yl]phenyl] acetamide with a molecular formula of C11H14AsNO3S2 and is represented by the SMILES notation, CC(=O)NC1=C(C=CC(=C1)[As]2SCC(S2)CO)O.

The topological polar surface area is 120Ų, and the compound contains 18 heavy atoms.