HISTORICAL REVIEW. 11 



be employed. They find that for 24 to 48 hours after the adminis- 

 tration of the medicine the feces contained numerous flukes and 

 nematodes. After three days the feces show no eggs, and on autopsy 

 no flukes or strongyles are found. The number of tests and other 

 details are not given. 



They point out that this remedy should be tried in human dis- 

 tomatiasis, and that the injection method might be useful in echino- 

 coccus infections. 



Perroncito (1886) has repeated the experiments of Grassi and 

 Calandruccio and reports favorably on the use of male fern, noting, 

 however, certain unfavorable results from its use. His experiments 

 were as follows: 



1. Sheep with symptoms of fluke disease. Fecal examination showed two 

 to three eggs of Strongylus, probably S. contortus, and three to four fluke eggs 

 per slide. Administered 10 grams of ethereal extract of male fern in 48 grams 

 of ethereal tincture. The animal became tympanic, due to ethereal vapor de- 

 veloped in the stomach, and in a few minutes fell as if struck dead. After 40 

 minutes rose. At the end of 2 hours it had recovered from the symptoms of 

 anesthesia and other phenomena of etherization. Some weeks later the feces 

 showed one strongyle egg and one distome egg per slide. 



2. Administered to sheep affected with liver fluke, 5 grams of ethereal extract 

 of male fern in 50 grams of the tincture. Usual symptoms of flatulence and 

 defecation. After 30 to 40 minutes sheep gradually returned to normal condi- 

 tion. Examination of the feces showed numerous distome and strongyle eggs. 

 Two days later examination showed distome and hookworm eggs, but notice- 

 ably diminished in number. There had been 10 to 12 eggs per slide ; there were 

 now 4 to 5. 



Two days later repeated the dose, substituting 6 grams of ethereal extract 

 in place of 5 grams. The animal showed more severe symptoms than on the 

 first occasion. There was considerable flatulence at the end of an hour. 



Feces collected 40 hours after the second dose of male fern showed 2 to 3 

 distome eggs per slide. Animal seemed much improved. Seven days after the 

 second dose the feces showed only one distome egg to three or four slides. 



3. A sheep infested with a large number of liver flukes, about 800, was given 

 a large dose of male fern and died in 10 or 12 hours. Autopsy showed that 

 the flukes were apparently all dead. 



This last case had been previously published by Perroncito (1885). 



The next article dealing with experimental medication of hepatic 

 distomatiasis which has come to our attention is that of Romagnoli 

 (1903), who claims to have had good results in the treatment of dis- 

 tomatiasis in sheep from the daily administration of 1 grain of salol 

 in a teaspoonful of water for 8 days. According to that author the 

 salol kills the cercarise which are still in the stomach and thus pre- 

 vents further infestation, so that if the sheep are meanwhile given 

 plenty of nourishment they rapidly recover their health and finally 

 become completely cured. Romagnoli's treatment is of a different 

 character from that reported by other writers in that it is supposed 



