Feb. i8, 1918 Efficacy of Some Anthelmintics 427 



The treatment was decidedly inefficaceous and highly dangerous. 

 The animals never gained as rapidly as the other hogs kept under the 

 same conditions but not dosed with turpentine. While separate dosing 

 might have shown some efficacy for the treatment, the injury to the 

 hogs precludes its recommendation as an anthelmintic. 



FICUS LAURIFOLIA 



For worms in dogs. — The latex of Ficus laurifolia has been highly 

 recommended by Berrio (1911) and by Mouat-Biggs (1915) for use in 

 expelling whipworms from man, and is also said to have been adopted by 

 the Venezuela State Board of Health as the official remedy for use against 

 hookworms. Berrio gives doses of 25 to 30 gm., followed by castor oil. 

 Mouat-Biggs gives the latex morning, noon, and night, mixed with water, 

 which may be sweetened, or with milk, in doses of 10 to 40 gm., accord- 

 ing to the age of the patient. 



A sample of the expressed juice of the latex kindly supplied to the 

 writers by Dr. Gonzalez-Rincones of Caracas, Venezuela, was tested on 

 three dogs weighing from 4 to 29 kilos. Fifteen to 30 mils of the 

 juice were given, preceded by a purge of 30 mils of castor oil, and 

 followed three or four hours after the administration of the latex by 

 15 to 30 mils of castor oil. Although all the dogs were infested with 

 hookworms, whipworms, or ascarids, as shown by a previous fecal 

 examination, no parasites were passed. Since the remedy was entirely 

 inefficacious, the dogs were not killed. 



The sample forwarded to the writers did not conform to the published 

 accounts of the latex, which describe it as of thick, sirupy consistency 

 and milky white in color, but was instead a watery fluid with something 

 resembling curds floating in it. 



A second sample conforming in all respects to the descriptions of the 

 latex was subsequently received through the courtesy of Dr. Rincones. 



This drug was tested by the junior writer on three dogs weighing 4.5 

 to 18.2 kilos. The latex was given at the rate of 2.6 mils per kilo of 

 weight and followed by castor oil at the rate of 3 mils per kilo of weight. 

 The treatment was preceded by a dose of castor oil the day before, and 

 the animals were starved for 24 hours. The drug removed 9 out of a total 

 of 11 ascarids (Belascaris marginata and Toxascaris limhata), i out of 

 33 hookworms {Ancylostoma caninum), and i out of 50 whipworms 

 (Trichuris depressiuseula) , thus showing but little anthelmintic value for 

 the two worms (hookworms and whipworms) for which it is particularly 

 recommended, and a very satisfactory anthelmintic efficacy for ascarids. 

 It was ineffective against Dipylidium caninum, no specimens being passed 

 and several being found at autopsy. Of the three nematodes on which 

 the latex had some effect, ascarids are, according to the experience of the 

 writers, most easily removed — probably because they do not attach 



