Feb. i8, 1918 Efficacy of Some Anthelmintics 415 



shown that male-fern in a combination known as Hermann's mix- 

 ture is efficacious against Dipylidium caninum and may have 

 some slight value against whipworms (Trichuris depressiuscula) 

 and hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum), although the efficacy of 

 the mixture for hookworms is largely due to the chloroform contained 

 in it. The following experiments in which male-fern alone was used 

 corroborate these conclusions. 



In the first experimental test of the drug five dogs were used ranging 

 in weight from 6.4 to 15.9 kilos. The treatment was preceded by 

 calomel (65 to 194 mgm., according to the weight of the animals) the 

 afternoon of the preceding day and followed about 45 minutes after 

 treatment by Epsom salt in molasses. One to three mils of male-fern 

 were administered. Within an hour after treatment one dog had passed 

 a mass of fragments of Dipylidium caninum,, including at least four 

 heads, and another some chains of segments of Taenia sp. When the 

 dogs were killed, no specimens of Taenia sp. were found, and only two 

 specimens of D. caninum, one of which was in the colon, evidently 

 about to pass out. It is evident that the remedy was entirely efficacious 

 against Taenia sp., since the dog which was observed to pass Taenia seg- 

 ments after dosing with male-fern was found uninfested on post-mortem 

 examination. It was slightly less efficacious for D. caninum, but appar- 

 ently removed all but one specimen. It is possible that the male-fern 

 removed all individuals of D. caninum not attached by burrowing into 

 the intestinal mucosa, leaving embedded heads to renew strobila. This 

 would account for the failure to find more than four heads in the rela- 

 tively large mass of segments passed. 



Male-fern had but little effect on ascarids (Belascaris marginata) and 

 removed only one-fourMi of the hookworms {Ancylostoma caninum) 

 present, in spite of the fact that at one time it was regarded as an appro- 

 priate remedy for hookworms {A . duodenale) in man and much used for 

 the purpose. It should be stated, however, that, in view of the small 

 number of hookworms involved in this experiment, only four being 

 present, the conclusion that male-fern is inefficacious against hookworms 

 is hardly warranted. None of the three whipworms (Trichuris depressi- 

 uscula) present were removed by this drug, although Miller (1904) 

 reported the successful removal of whipworms from dogs with it. 



A further test of the efficacy of oleoresin of aspidium against tapeworms 

 in dogs was conducted by the junior writer. After the usual 24-hour 

 fast, two dogs weighing 20.4 and 11.34 kgm. were given 2.7 and 1.8 

 mils, respectively, of male-fern, followed by 162 mgm. of calomel. 



Prior to treatment the smaller dog had been repeatedly seen to pass 

 chains of proglottides identified as Taenia pisiformis, while only a few 

 Taenia eggs had been seen in the feces of the larger dog. The presence 

 of these eggs may have resulted from contamination of the specimen. 



