11 4 Memoirs of Erasmus Darwin^ M. D» 



it purges. The worm extends from the stomach to the anuJ^ 

 and the amalgama tears it from the intestine by mechanical 

 pressure, acting upon it the whole way. Electric shocks 

 through the duodenum greatly assist the operation. Large 

 doses of tin in powder. Iron filings in large doses. The 

 powder of fern- root seems to be of no use, as recommended 

 by M. Noufflier.*' 



He makes the following judicious observations on the 

 cure of the ascarides, or thread- worm : 



^^Ascarides are said to be weakened by twenty grains of 

 cinnabar and five of rhubarb taken every night, but not to 

 be cured by this process. As these worms are found only 

 in the rectum, variety of clysters have been recommended. 

 I was informed of a case, where solutions of mercurial oint- 

 ment were used as a clyster every night for a month without 

 success. Clysters of Harrowgate water are recommended^ 

 either of the natural, or of the factitious, as described be- 

 low, which might have a greater proportion of liver of 

 sulphur in it. As the cold air soon destroys them, after 

 they are voided, could clysters of iced water be used with 

 advantage ? or of spirit of wine and water ? or of ether and 

 water ? Might not a piece of candle, about an inch long,, 

 or two such pieces, smeared with mercurial ointment, and 

 introduced into the anus at night, or twice a day, be effec- 

 tual by compressing their nidus, as well as by the poison of 

 the mcircury ? 



'' The clysters should be large in quantity, that they may 

 pass high in the rectum, as two drams of tobacco boiled a 

 minute in a pint of water. Or, perhaps, what might be still 

 more efficacious and less inconvenient, the smoke of to- 

 bacco injected by a proper apparatus every night, or alter- 

 nate nights, for six or eight weeks. This was long since 

 recommended, I think, by Mr. Turner of Liverpool • and the 

 reason it has not succeeded, I believe to have been owing to 

 the imperfections of the joints of the common apparatus for 

 injecting the smoke of tobacco, so that it did not pass into 

 the intestine, though it was supposed to do so, as I once 

 observed. The smoke should be received from the appa- 

 ratus into a large bladder ; and it may then be certainly in- 

 jected 



