16 ACTION OF ANTHELMINTICS ON PAEASITES. 



of the literature as to autopsy showing that the death of the fluke 

 actually follows the administration of the male fern. Salvarsan has 

 been commended on the basis of a cessation of symptoms following its 

 administration in eight cases of bilharziasis, and opposed on the find- 

 ings in five cases in which its administration was without effect. 

 Looss questions the benefits of salvarsan as regards the organic 

 lesions due to the parasite, while the other writers take exception to 

 Joannides's findings as not conforming to other known facts. 



AUTHORS' EXPERIMENTS. 



Being engaged in a study of tapeworm disease of sheep, due 'to 

 Thysanosoma actinioides, the authors have taken advantage of oppor- 

 tunities to test carbon bisulphid and male fern as remedies for this 

 disease. At the request of a sheep owner we also tested a certain 

 proprietary remedy. This remedy was found on analysis by the 

 Biochemic Division of the Bureau of Animal Industry to consist of 

 49 per cent ferrous sulphate, 13 per cent arsenious oxid, 8 per cent 

 oxids of calcium, potassium, silicon, and magnesium^ and 29 per cent 

 organic matter, nature not determined but not containing santonin 

 or any other vegetable alkaloid. 



Tests of carbon bisulphid were made by the junior author at the 

 ranch of Mr. Wells, near Resolis : Colo., in July, 1911. A Mexican 

 herder at one camp was instructed to cut out six sheep, picking the 

 poorest and weakest as being the most likely victims of thysano- 

 somiasis. Events proved that some of the sheep selected were really 

 too sick for the experiment. 



The experiments were as follows: 



1. Administered 6 grams of carbon bisulphid in capsule to a sheep. Sheep 

 crushed one or two capsules and seemed greatly distressed thereby. Repeated 

 dose after 30-hour interval. Sheep found dead the next day. Post-mortem 

 showed appearances similar to those of hemorrhagic septicemia. A number of 

 live bile-stained Thysanosoma found in the enlarged bile ducts and a number 

 of others in the duodenum. One specimen of Thysanosoma was found with the 

 head in the fourth stomach and the rest of the worm in the third stomach; 

 this might have been due to post-mortem wandering or to a reverse peristalsis- 

 Two specimens of Cysticcrcus tcnuicolUs were found adhering to the liver andL 

 one to the duodenum. The fluid content of the cysticerci was stained with 

 blood. Death was perhaps hastened by the administration of the carbon 

 bisulphid. Two doses of 6 grams each had not killed the tapeworms in this 

 case. 



2. Administered 6 grams of carbon bisulphid in capsule. Repeated dose 

 after 30-hour interval. Sheep found dead the next day. Post-mortem showed 

 appearances similar to those of hemorrhagic septicemia ; death perhaps hastened 

 by the administration of the carbon bisulphid. There were no tapeworms any- 

 where, and no lesions, such as thickened and enlarged bile and pancreatic ducts, 

 to show that there had been any tapeworms. 



3. Administered 6 grams of carbon bisulphid in capsule. Repeated dose 

 after 30-hour interval. Sheep found dead the next day. Post-mortem showed. 



