CLASS 1. 1. 4. 12. OF IRRITATION, 45 



these worms as well as the tape-worms, are probably acquired 

 from without? this may account for their re-appearance a few 

 weeks or months after they have been destroyed; or can this 

 happen from the eggs or parts of them remaining? 



Ascarides appear to be of two kinds, the common small one 

 like a thread; which has a very sharp head, as appears in the mi- 

 croscope; and which is so tender, that the cold air soon renders 

 it motionless; and a larger kind above an inch long, and nearly 

 as thick as a very small crow-quill, and which is very hard in re- 

 spect to its texture, and very tenacious of life. One of these last 

 was brought to me, and was immediately immersed in a strong 

 solution of sugar of lead, and lived in it a very long time without 

 apparent inconvenience, 



M. M. Ascarides are said to be weakend by twenty grains 

 of cinnabar and five of rhubarb taken every night, but not to be 

 cured by this process. As these worms are found only in the 

 rectum, variety of clysters have been recommended. A clyster 

 consisting of one eighth or one fourth of an ounce of succotrine 

 aloes in powder boiled in a pint of milk or of gruel, till it is dis- 

 solved, and injected once a week for many weeks, I believe has 

 sometimes effected a cure. I was informed of a case, where so- 

 lutions of mercurial ointment were used as a clyster every night 

 for a month without success. Clysters of Harrowgate water are 

 recommended either of the natural, or of the factitious, as de- 

 scribed below, which might have a greater proportion of liver 

 of sulphur in it. As the cold air soon destroys them, after they 

 are voided, could clysters of iced water be used with advantage? 

 or of spirit of wine and water? or of ether and water? Might 

 nor a piece of candle, about an inch long, or two such pieces, 

 smeread with mercurial ointment, and introduced into the anus 

 at night or twice a day, be effectual by compressing their nidus, 

 as well as by the poison of the mercury? 



The clysters should be in large quantity, that they may pass 

 high in the rectum, as two drams of tobacco boiled a minute in 

 a pint of water. Or perhaps what might be still more effica- 

 cious and less inconvenient, the smoke of tobacco injected by 

 a proper apparatus every night, or alternate nights, for six or 

 eight weeks. This was long since recommended, I think, by 

 Mr. Turner of Liverpool; and the reason it has not succeeded, 

 I believe to have been owing to the imperfections of the joints 

 of the common apparatus for injecting the smoke of tobacco, so 

 that it did not pass into the intestine, though it was supposed to 

 do so, as I once observed. The smoke should be received from 

 the apparatus into a large bladder; and it may then be certainly 

 injected like the common clyster with sufficient force; otherwise 



