Feb. i8, 1918 Efficacy of Some Anthelmintics 401 



water for 28 hours and then given a solution made by dissolving 0.45 

 kgm. (i pound) of Epsom salt in 22.7 Hters (6 gallons) of water. As the 

 drinking troughs would hold only 3.8 liters (i gallon) each, each trough 

 when full contained 75.6 gm. of the salt in solution. It was intended 

 to refill the troughs as fast as they were emptied until each pig had taken 

 1 1.35 liters (3 gallons) of the solution, or 226.8 gm. of Epsom salt. 



As in the previous experiment, the pigs merely tasted the solution -and 

 refused to drink more. No other water was given them for the next 28 

 hours during which time they had two meals of dry feed. As the pigs 

 had now been without a drink for 56 hours, the experiment was closed. 

 Another microscopic examination of the feces passed at the close of the 

 experiment revealed the presence of ascarids in both pigs. 



It is evident from the above that a solution of Epsom salt, even when 

 less than 2 per cent in strength, is so distasteful to pigs that they will 

 not drink it even after a relatively long period of thirst. It may also be 

 noted that 11.4 liters (3 gallons) of water is much more than a pig of 

 22.67 kgm. (50 pounds) weight could consume in a day even if very 

 thirsty, so that even if the pigs had drunk the weaker solution the treat- 

 ment would have had to be prolonged for two or three days, greatly 

 , decreasing the purgative effect to be expected from a single dose of a 

 large quantity of Epsom salt. 



In this connection it may be stated that in an experiment with oil of 

 chenopodium on hogs, conducted some years previously by the junior 

 writer, four hogs were given 113.4 gm. (4 ounces) of Epsom salt mixed 

 with a bran-mash feed, all the animals eating together. No difficulty 

 was experienced in getting the animals to eat the mixture, but the 

 amount of the salt allowed to each hog was only one-eighth of the dose 

 allowed in the present experiment. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH ANTHELMINTICS OF A MINERAL NATURE AND 



COAL-TAR PRODUCTS 



TARTAR EMETIC 



For worms in hogs. — Tartar emetic is commonly used as a remedy for 

 roundworms in horses, and this led the writers to test its effects upon 

 worms in hogs. Two small pigs were used, weighing 8.6 and 14.5 kgm. 

 They were each given 259 mgm. of tartar emetic dissolved in water, 

 followed after a short interval with 29.57 mils of castor oil. Winslow 

 (1913) gives the emetic dose of tartar emetic for hogs as 4 to 10 grains (259 

 to 648 mgm.). The drug in this case exerted no emetic effect. One of the 

 pigs passed 5 ascarids (Ascaris suum) after treatment and showed the 

 presence of 5 others on post-mortem; the other pig passed none and 

 showed 19 on post-mortem. Owing to the more or less common habit 

 which pigs have of devouring ascarids, it is possible that the second pig 

 also passed worms which were eaten; and the first may have passed 



