— 103 — 



applied hypodermically, have a fatal action, in rabbits 0,3 cc. Com- 

 bined glycuronic acids could not be detected in the urine. 



In the blood of rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs and calves, wormseed 

 oil in suitable concentration develops methemoglobin- and cathemoglobin- 

 forming properties; in suspensions of blood corpuscles in physiological 

 solution of common salt, it effects a strong hematolysis. 



Wormseed oil prevents the milk becoming sour, or curdling, by 

 its action on the bacteria. In solutions of egg-albumin it effects precip- 

 itation of the albuminoids. Even when diluted to 1 : 200, the oil 

 has a retarding action on the development of bacteria cultures. 



All these effects of wormseed oil were also shown by the body 

 C 10 H 16 O 2 present in it, which was discovered by us. With regard 

 to its action on man, no results are as yet available, but it is prob- 

 able that this constituent of the oil when suitably diluted, will show 

 the same action. 



Briining 1 ) discussed furthermore at the 30 th Meeting of the Mecklen- 

 burg Society of Physicians, the treatment of ascaridiasis with Baltimore 

 wormseed oil. His statements may be summarised as follows: The 

 remedy, in a suitable form, is taken without objection even by children. 

 It showed no disagreeable secondary symptoms, and the action itself 

 was absolutely reliable. On the manner of administration we have 

 already reported on a previous occasion. 2 ) 



Wormwood Oil. It appears that it is now intended to take 

 energetic measures in France against the use of absinth and similar 

 liqueurs, by placing as many difficulties as possible in the way of the 

 manufacture and the sale of these products and the essential oils used 

 for that purpose. This, at least, appears from a law enacted January 30 th , 

 1907, which has caused a great sensation in interested circles. Accord- 

 ing to this, the manufacture not only of absinth and similar liqueurs, 

 but also of the oils required therefor, such as wormwood oil, etc., is 

 to be subject to the continuous control of the Board of Revenue. 

 The cost of this, which is annually fixed by the Treasury Department 

 according to the number and pay of the officers employed, has to be 

 borne by the manufactures. On the alcohol used for the beverages 

 in question, a special additional tax of 50 francs per hectolitre is 

 levied, and in addition to this, the maximum content of wormwood 

 oil and essential oils generally in the beverages shall be determined 

 by special decree. The substitution of natural essential oils by artificial 

 chemical products of any kind is prohibited, as well as the trade in 

 liqueurs which have been prepared with such substitutes. 



x ) Centralbl. f. die ges. Therapie 24 (1906), 81. 

 2 ) Comp. Report October 1906, 81. 



