298 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Dr. Snodgrass. — I have no doubt pumpkin makes a good poul- 

 tice. Whatever holds water and warmth best is the most suitable. 



Dr. Smith. — In m^^ travels in Syria, I found pumpkin seeds 

 almost universally eaten by the people on account of their sup- 

 posed medicinal qualities. Not because they are diuretic, but as 

 antidote against animalculae which infest the bowels. They are 

 sold in the streets as apples and nuts are here. It is a medical 

 fact that persons have been cured of tape-worm by the use of 

 pumpkin seeds. The outer skin being removed, the meats are 

 bruised in a mortar into an oily, pasty mass. This is sw^allowed 

 by the patient after fasting some hours, and it takes the place of 

 chyle in the stomach, and the tape-worm lets go its hold of the 

 ^membrane and becomes gorged with this substance, and in some 

 measure probably torpid. Then a large dose of castor oil is 

 administered and the worms are ejected before they are able to 

 renew^ their hold. 



Dr. S. gave a very interesting account of a missionary at Athens, 

 Greece, who was cured by this simple remed}^ 



Dr. Trimble said it is supposed that bots in horses hold on with 

 hooks upon the stomach in the same way, and that they let go 

 w^hen the horse is fed sweet apples. 



What Shall we Eat ? 



Dr. Peck introduced this subject, and contended that phj^sical 

 reo-encration must come through improvement in food. The best 

 life insurance is good wholesome food, and plenty of it. The 

 victims of cholera and tj'phoid fever ai-e mainly those Avhose food 

 is not nutritious or not sufficient. "Better pay the butcher than 

 the doctor " is a wise maxim, but the farmers of this country don't 

 like to pay either. Yet most families keep a private apothecary" 

 shop, and are constantly complaining of dyspepsia and bilious 

 ailments. With many families the staple articles of food are pork, 

 buckwheat cakes, pies and crullers cooked in boiling lard. In 

 this State or New England it is difficult to find a middle-aged man 

 or woman who is not more or less occupied in tinkering some 

 chronic weakness or disease. They constantly violate physical 

 laws, the punishment of which, though it may not be swift, is as 

 certain as fate, and as cruel as the grave. The food question is 

 therefore an important one for discussion. People must learn to 

 live upon less poik, buckwheat cakes, butter and molasses, and 

 eat bread that is not ruined by fermentation. Invest less in patent 



