13 



the antiquated and exploded fallacy of the rectum being the 

 seat of the disease, and 'to recommend treatment accordingly. 

 This thoughtless repetition throws an interesting sidelight 

 on the manner in which many such books are produced, with- 

 out even a superficial verification of their contents 1 . 



Universally ignored in Treatment. 



But more remarkable still is the case of writers in whom no 

 such ignorance of the pathological facts exists. They, at 

 least, cannot plead any excuse for the tenacity with which 

 they cling to the routine treatment of the past, in the face of 

 constant and acknowledged failure. One has only to take 

 up the special works of world- wide repute, written during the 

 last fifty years, to deplore the apathy, with which their authors 

 relate how they employed the orthodox measures in .the cases 

 that came under their care. Case after case is dismissed 

 as being, unfortunately, incurable. There may be words of 

 regret at the helplessness of modern therapeutics, but the 

 possibility of doing better, along new lines of treatment, is 

 not even contemplated 2 . 



1 The Nomenclature of Diseases employed for Oxyuris : " . . . 

 published by the ROYAL COLLEGE the results are not entirely satis- 

 OF PHYSICIANS of London every ten factory, for the disorder is capri- 

 years, in the 3rd edition, published cious, and constantly liable to 

 as lately as 1896, still contained the return, even after your success 

 statement that the " rectum is the appears to be complete. '. . . 

 habitat of Oxyuris vermicularis ! " Though, in deference to the state- 

 But even in the most recent, the ments of practitioners abroad, I 

 4th edition, 1906, this authoritative have often employed santonin, 

 work only approaches the truth, podophyllin, and chenopodium, 

 without reaching it, by stating that the latter both in oil and powder, 

 the worm lives in the " rectum I am bound to say that any good 

 and large intestine." results following their use generally 



2 As an instance, I quote the appeared to me to be principally 

 comments of one of the foremost attributable to the aperients em- 

 worm-specialists of modern times, ployed to increase their action." 

 on the treatments which he has (CoBBOLD, T. S., op. cit., p. 100.) 



