POMEGRANATE BARK. 173 



pared by "Waitz in Java. Of the latter 3'ij — iv are administered 

 in ^v of fennel water with Syrup. Cortic. Aurant., 3J> in three 

 doses, at intervals of half an hour. The alcoholic extract, very 

 carefully prepared in the " Johannisapotheke," in this place, I 

 have seen only once given. 



9. Although, for the preparation of the active substance of 

 the bark, which must consist especially in a resin, boiling water 

 is to a certain extent sufficient, the addition of caustic potash or 

 soda, or of a little white wine, to the water employed in the 

 maceration, and afterwards in the decoction of the bark, greatly 

 increases the efficacy of the extract. 



10. Old bark which has remained long in the warehouse is to 

 be rejected as inefficacious, and not to be employed in the 

 preparation of the extract. 



Seeger narrates that Breton and Gomez poured a decoction of 

 pomegranate bark over living tape-worms, when they curled them- 

 selves up, became contracted, hard, and twisted, appeared to 

 experience pain, and died within five minutes in convulsions. 

 Whoever takes the trouble of repeating this experiment, will see 

 how artistic, but at the same time how untrue, this description is. 

 In the experiments made by me, as already described, with 

 pomegranate bark, I obtained satisfactory proofs of the energy of 

 this excellent remedy. 



Of the particular methods of administering the decoction I 

 may mention the following as the best known : 



a. With fresh bark — Buchanan's method. — 3 vn j 0I " fresh 

 Cortex Radicis Punic. Granat. are boiled with three pints 

 of water until two pints remain, and drunk in cupfuls at 

 short intervals until the worm is expelled. By this violent 

 vomiting, colic and purging are produced. 



Breton's method. — 5'j °f the fresh back are boiled down 

 from 5 xvu j to ^ix or, according to Gomez, from lb. iss of water to 

 lb. j, and the decoction drunk by cupfuls. 



Merat's method. — At night 3'j of fresh bark are infused in 

 lb. iss of water, and left to macerate through the night, and 

 boiled into lb. j in the morning. It is then filtered and well 

 pressed. This decoction is to be taken by the patient in three 

 equal parts in two hours. The treatment is only discontinued 

 in case of too great heat or cold. If vomiting occur after the first 

 dose, we are not to be deterred from giving the following doses ; 

 but if the patient vomit these, we must desist from the treat- 



