HISTORICAL REVIEW. 9 



point where the parasite had been located. Altogether 102 grams of extract of 

 male fern had been administered during a period of 71 days, and presumably 

 as a result of this treatment a cysticercus of the eye, one under the skin of the 

 groin, and probably others in the motor centers of the brain, had degenerated 

 and become absorbed. Dianoux concludes that male fern destroys cysticerci 

 because of some selective action against these parasites. 



Railliet in his abstract of De Renzi's article (De Renzi, 1909) has 

 noted that it would be interesting to test male fern on domestic 

 animals suffering from parasitic diseases of the muscles and viscera, 

 and mentions gid as one disease in which this treatment should be 

 attempted. Such treatment was attempted and reported by Hall 

 (1909). The treatment was tried on three sheep as follows: -!*' 



1. Sheep showed characteristic symptoms of gid. Fifty grams of male fern 

 powder administered on two consecutive days. The third day the attendant 

 accidentally got the dose in the windpipe of the sheep, killing the animal. 

 Post-mortem examination showed a large living coenurns in the cerebrum. i 



2. Sheep showed pronounced symptoms of gid. Ethereal extract of male 

 fern administered in 5 c. c. doses on 27 days between April 22 and May 30, a 

 total of 135 c. c. Sheep found dead May 30, following a gradual increase in 

 unfavorable symptoms from May 1. Post-mortem examination showed a large 

 living coenurus in the cerebrum. 



3. Sheep showed characteristic symptoms of gid. Ethereal extract of male 

 fern administered in 5 c. c. doses on consecutive days, with the exception of 

 one day, until a total of 45 c. c. had been given. No improvement in condi- 

 tion. Treatment discontinued and sheep found dead four days later. Post- 

 mortem examination of the brain showed a small live coanurus. 



Hall has given a critical review of De Renzi's cases, and concludes 

 that they are open to suspicion of error as regards diagnosis and the 

 connection between the disease, the treatment, and the cure. 



Moussu (1910) has also reported some tests of ethereal extract of 

 male fern administered for two months to two giddy sheep. There 

 was a marked amelioration of symptoms, but at the autopsy, two 

 months after the cessation of treatment, there was a coenurus in the 

 brain of each, very large in one case and the size of a hazelnut in 

 the other, and neither of them degenerated. Moussu also tested the 

 treatment on a pig affected with cysticercosis which had been devel- 

 oping for more than six months, the vesicles being readily visible 

 under the tongue and the conjunctiva. The condition of the pig, 

 instead of improving, became worse from day to day. 



In view of the conflict between his results and those obtained by 

 T)e Renzi and Dianoux, Moussu concludes that the influence of male 

 fern only makes itself felt on young lesions and those in course of 

 development, but that where the cysts are entirely developed the 

 medicament remains entirely without effect. 



The most recent published work upon this subject available to us 

 is that of Deve (1911). His test of the treatment was as follows: 



Three rabbits were given a subcutaneous injection of brood capsules from a 

 hydatid cyst. No. 1 was kept as a check. No. 2 was given each day for 52 

 50CG4 Bull. 15312 2 



