— 143 — 



An article in a medical Journal 1 ) deals with the successful treatment 

 of ascaridiasis with American wormseed oil 2 ) (Oleum chenopodii anthel- 

 minthici). In order to be quite successful, the remedy should be ad- 

 ministered on two successive days (even where worms are voided on the 

 first day of the treatment) and if possible on an empty stomach. The 

 remedy should be administered twice daily in cases of patients under 

 14 [years of age, and three times a day to patients over that age. Two 

 hours after the last dose the patient should take, according to age, from 

 */« to two tablespoonfuls of castor oil. It is not advisable to give less 

 than two tablespoonfuls of castor oil to adults, because wormseed oil 

 has a constipating effect, even when the patient has previously been 

 suffering from looseness of the bowels. 



The dose of wormseed oil is as follows: for patients from 6 to 8 years, 

 8 drops; 9 to 10 years, 10 drops; 11 to 16 years, 12 drops, over 16 years, 

 12 to 16 drops. After taking the oil the patient, especially if a sensitive 

 subject, is apt to feel sick, owing to the eructation caused by the drug. 

 To avoid this, the remedy should be given in conjunction with menthol, 

 put up in gelatine capsules and taken with hot coffee and milk. 



The following is the prescription for adults: — 



R. 01. Chenopod. anthelminth. . gtts. XVI 



Mentholi g. 0,2 



M. D. t. dos. No. VI ad capsul. gelatinos. 



Sig. Three capsules to be taken daily on two successive days, in the 

 forenoon, at intervals of two hours, with hot coffee and milk. 

 And also R 01 Ricini 700 



Sig. On two days two tablespoonfuls each to be taken in beer-foam, two 

 hours after the third capsule. 

 Wormwood Oil. As a result of the cessation of French competition, 

 the American wormwood cultures in the States of Michigan and Indiana 

 have been extended to about 415 acres, whereas in 1909 only about 

 304 acres were under wormwood. Our informant has ascertained that in 

 the State of New York 19 acres were under cultivation, as compared with 

 14 acres last year. During the spring all the preliminary conditions for 

 a favourable development of the plants appeared to be in existence, but 

 the drought which subsequently set in has done so much damage that in 

 spite of the increased plantations the crop has only been a medium one. 

 A speculative trader in the Western States thereupon concentrated the 

 greater part of the production in his own hands, which led to an increase 

 in prices, under which we were compelled to raise our quotations as 

 early as the month of August. As a result of the high price the demand 

 for American oil in Europe has now entirely ceased, and all the principal 



x ) Munch, med. Wochenschr. 59 (1910), 1643; quoted from Apotheker Ztg. 25 (1910), 608. 

 2 ) Report October 1906, 81 ; April 1907, 102; October 1907, 99; April 1910, 121. 



