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cannot be too strongly condemned. In addition, it may be 

 said, once for all, that neither sulphur nor calomel is really 

 specific for threadworms ; and their fame in this respect is a 

 survival of the times when these popular drugs were in turn 

 lauded as specific for nearly every ill which human flesh is 

 heir to. 



Vegetable Purgatives as Anthelmintics. 



Senna, rhubarb and castor-oil are comparatively mild 

 purgatives, which are generally regarded as safe. All of 

 them, however, may cause severe griping pain, or even colic ; 

 and though they appear to clear out the intestine, they 

 are very ineffectual in removing from the ccecum the 

 threadworms, upon which they certainly exert no specific 

 action. 



Aloes, jalap, podophyllin and scammony, the most popular 

 of vegetable purgatives, are all powerful irritants, and must 

 not be used if the alimentary canal is at all inflamed, as it 

 usually is in the subject of " worms/' Aloes, in addition, 

 has a stimulating action on the uterus, and may cause abortion. 

 None of these has any true effect on the parasite. 



Colocynth, gratiola, and Brayera Anthelmintica are drastic 

 hydragogue cathartics, causing profuse watery diarrhoea ; 

 and, often, such symptoms of poisoning as nausea, vomiting 

 and colic ; and their use may thus set up acute danger. 

 Any specific vermicidal action they may possess applies to 

 tapeworm only. 



Elaterium and gamboge are still more violent and dangerous 

 members of the same class ; whilst croton oil, the strongest 

 purgative known, is a virulent poison, so powerful that 

 it will, even if applied to the outer skin, often cause 

 ulceration. 



Proprietary "Mineral" Waters as Anthelmintics. 



Other remedies include the natural mineral waters, such as 

 Apenta, Pullna, Hunyadi Janos, Friedrichshall, etc. These 

 are simply solutions of various mineral salts, upon which their 

 purgative action depends, and the latter is described above. 

 Though these waters have found many supporters amongst 

 medical men, they can have very little effect on " worms," 

 seeing that even their promoters make no such claim. 



