828 DOCHMIUS DUODENALIS AND ANGUILLULjE. 
the mature larvae of the Anchilostomae and the Anguillulse, 
allow me to dissuade from the use of several common anthel- 
minthics. The ethereal extract of male fern appears to me 
most adapted to kill the different parasitical species; only it 
must not be thought that one or two doses will be sufficient to 
liberate the intestines from thousands and perhaps millions 
of helminths that live on chyle and blood. 
The medicinal substances, of whatever nature they may 
be, arrived in the stomach begin to dilute, and this dilution 
is still greater in the intestine. Hence the fact of the ineffi¬ 
cacious action of an anthelmintic, even powerful, on great 
numbers of parasites. In such a manner is explained why 
the vermifuges employed till now have not produced all 
those results that were to be expected, and the necessity of 
repeated and frequent doses of those substances that have 
incontestible results. A young oligtemico of S. Gottardo, 
with an extraordinary number of Anguillulae, tolerable quan¬ 
tity of Anchilostoma, and a certain number of ascarides, 
subjected to doses of ethereal extract of male fern, after the 
first draught experienced such relief that the intestinal An¬ 
guillulae were soon reduced, and the strength of the individual 
was increased. A dose of santonin being administered (to 
combat the ascarides), the day after another of male fern, 
after having advised him to. use plenty of generous wine, I 
let him return to the country and return to those exercises 
to which he was used; and though the diet at his home was 
not of meat, still ten days after he came to tell me how r his 
physical state had gained, that he no longer felt tired as 
before, that he could walk freely, and had returned to work 
harder than ever at his trade of shoemaking. That his 
general health was greatly improved one could see from his 
face, that had become rosy. Proceeding to the clinical 
examination as to his helminthesis, according to the means 
adopted before, I perceived that the spawn and larvae had 
greatly diminished. Nevertheless, I made him take two 
more doses of santonin and two of ethereal extract of male 
fern. After this second treatment I knew of his well-nigh 
complete cure, revealed to me by other young patients of 
S. Gottardo, who told me that the individual in question 
was in excellent health and had returned to his work. 
