OIL OF TU11PENTINE. 159 



Lastly, it also has the advantage, that it expels the worm entire 

 and in one piece, which I regard as a requisite of a good vermifuge 

 for tape-worms; partly for reasons of medical polity, and partly 

 upon purely scientific zoological grounds. For reasons of medical 

 polity I advise this, because the patient requires, and justly, to 

 see the result; and the same must be the case with the medical 

 man, in order to form his opinion as to the value of his method. 

 Many worm-expellers may perhaps save themselves, by always 

 having the head of a tape-worm in store, which they may slip 

 quickly into the fluid in which they wash the worm itself, or into 

 which the washed worm is brought to him a manoeuvre which 

 medical polity would approve as readily as the manosuvre of 

 that famous surgeon, who advised his pupils, in a case of 

 lithotomy, always to have another stone conveniently at hand, 

 which they might pretend to take out of the wound, when there 

 had really been no stone in existence. I regard such manoeuvres 

 as dishonorable, and always admit it quite openly when I can 

 find no head. I advise it upon pure zoological grounds, for it is 

 only thus that we can easily obtain materials for a certain deter- 

 mination of species. 



But notwithstanding these properties, the present remedy has 

 its weak points, dependent on its secondary effects. The principal 

 thing is not to give too small doses, which readily produce 

 sickness, inclination to vomit, ulceration of the mouth, griping 

 pains, and suppression of urine; nor too large ones, as these, 

 especially when they do not produce bilious stools, readily cause 

 tenesmus, and bloody stools and urine; and as the remedy, when 

 taken fasting, readily causes sickness even in large doses. Accord- 

 ing to some writers, its action varies with the season of the 

 year and the climate. Thus, Thorn. Schmidt (see 'Clarus's 

 Arzneimittellehre/ p. 703) says that it should never be given alone 

 as a purgative in large doses in winter and in moist cold weather, 

 because under such circumstances it has only a heating and not 

 a purgative action. In conjunction with other purgatives, espe- 

 cially castor oil, it assists their action in doses up to half an ounce. 



Lastly, according to Copeland, when turpentine is administered 

 after a purgative, or the oil itself does not act as an aperient, 

 tenesmus and bloody urine occur most readily, so that the remedy 

 must then be stopped, and we must endeavour to act upon the 

 bowels with castor oil. Taking everything into account, I regard 

 it as the best method to administer this medicine at bedtime, as 



