MISCELLANEOUS TESTS OF CARBON TETRACHLORID 
AS AN ANTHELMINTIC 1 
By Maurice C. Hall, Senior Zoologist , Zoological Division, Bureau of Animal Industry , 
and Jacob E. Shillinger, Veterinary Inspector, Insecticide and Fungicide Board , 
United States Department of Agriculture 
On the basis of what is known about it at present, carbon tetrachlorid 
(CC 1 4 ) promises to be an uncommonly valuable addition to the list of 
anthelmintics, having a high efficacy against worms of several sorts, 
an unusually deadly effect on bloodsucking worms, and a large margin 
of safety, so far as it has been tested, for most of the eight species of 
host animals used. It apparently offers a solution for several problems 
in removing worms which no anthelmintic has been heretofore known 
to solve satisfactorily. For these reasons it is a drug which deserves to 
be brought to the attention of veterinarians and of medical men in 
general. 
HISTORICAL 
More than half a century ago carbon tetrachlorid was used to a slight 
extent as an anesthetic and analgesic. The literature on this subject 
has been briefly summarized by Hall (13) 2 in a recent paper. For half 
a century this drug has been disregarded in medicine, though it has 
received more or less attention in other fields and is much used as a 
fire extinguisher, cleaner, insecticide, and solvent for fats, gums, etc. 
During 1921 Hall recommended it as an anthelmintic. In a paper by 
Hall ( 13 ) it was reported as 100 per cent effective in removing hook¬ 
worms from dogs when properly administered in suitable doses. In 
another paper by Hall (15), experiments were reported on carbon tetra¬ 
chlorid as a drug for the removal of bots and worms from horses, the 
drug being as effective as oil of chenopodium in removing Strongylus 
but somewhat less effective than carbon bisulphid (CS 2 ) in removing 
bots. In a third paper by Hall (16), carbon tetrachlorid was brought 
to the attention of the medical profession as being worthy of trial 
against human hookworms. In the same paper some toxicity tests of 
this drug on monkeys are reported, the tests indicating that these 
animals will tolerate rather large doses without bad effects;* and one 
test is reported in which the writer took a dose of 3 cc. of carbon tetra¬ 
chlorid without ill effects of any sort. In this paper we have summa¬ 
rized the published findings and added the results of our experiments. 
TESTS ON TURKEYS 
In the following experiments with carbon tetrachlorid on turkeys, 
four mature birds were used. The drug was given by means of a cath¬ 
eter passed down the esophagus. It is very easy to administer drugs 
to poultry in this way. 
Turkey No. 15.—Weight 6.33 kilos; dose rate 1 cc. per kilo; no 
worms passed in 4 days; feces scant but no ill effects noted. 
1 Accepted for publication Nov. 3, 1922. Read in abstract at the tenth meeting of the Illinois State 
Veterinary Medical Association at Chicago, Dec. 2, 1921. 
* Reference is made by number (italic) to “Literature cited," p. 191-192. 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Washington, D. C. 
ack 
(163) 
Vol. XXIII, No. 3 
Jan. 20, 1923 
Key No. A-63 
