Jan. 20, 1923 
Carbon Tetrachlorid as an Anthelmintic 
171 
of the drug appears to be lessened by the use of the soft capsule, but 
the number of tests here are entirely too small to warrant a positive state¬ 
ment. However, it may be pointed out that Hall ( 10 , 11) did not find 
chloroform administered in soft gelatine capsules so effective as when 
administered in hard capsules or in castor oil. It seemed possible that 
chloroform exerted a hardening effect on the gelatine, preventing the 
capsules from opening in time to come in contact with the worms. This 
same possibility may be true of carbon tetrachlorid, which is closely 
related to chloroform. 
In connection with reiterated recommendations that only the chemi¬ 
cally pure carbon tetrachlorid be used, it is of interest to note that Dr. 
W. J. Ratigan has reported in correspondence the deaths of two dogs 
treated for worms by their owners under circumstances indicating that 
commercial carbon tetrachlorid was used. 
TESTS ON CATS 
Tests of carbon tetrachlorid showed that a dose rate of 0.3 cc. per 
kilo was well tolerated by cats. We have already noted that Doctor 
Buckingham reports favorably on the use of carbon tetrachlorid in the 
case of these animals. Dr. O. V. Brumley, of the Ohio State University, 
writes in regard to it under date of April 12, 1922: “It has been a great 
help, particularly in the treatment of hookworm in dogs and cats.” 
In order to ascertain the minimum lethal dose of carbon tetrachlorid 
for cats we carried out the following experiments : 
Cat No. 3.—Three-months-old kitten, weighing 890 gm. Given 10 cc. 
of carbon tetrachlorid, a dose rate of slightly over 11.23 cc. P er kilo, by 
stomach tube, a catheter being used as a tube. Treatment was given 
at 8.30 a. m. Within a half hour the animal vomited some food and 
2 immature ascarids. It refused to eat and appeared stupid. The next 
morning it was found dead. There was a considerable quantity of carbon 
tetrachlorid in the posterior third of the small intestine; the intestine 
was empty anterior to this but contained some ingesta in the posterior 
portion. The stomach and intestine showed very little inflammation. 
No worms were found post mortem. This animal was thin and in poor 
condition when treated. 
Cat No. 4.—Three-months-old kitten, weighing 1.54 kilos. Given 
15 cc. of carbon tetrachlorid, a dose rate of 9.74 cc. per kilo, by stomach 
tube at 8.30 a. m. Within a half hour the animal vomited some food 
and 1 mature ascarid. The animal became weaker that day and the 
next day, dying the second night after treatment. The organs appeared 
normal on macroscopic examination except for a considerable quantity 
of mucous material in the-small intestine. No worms were found post 
mortem. 
Cat No. 5.—Six-weeks-old kitten, weighing 675 gm. Given 3 cc. of 
carbon tetrachlorid by stomach tube, a dose rate of slightly over 2 cc. 
per kilo. During the second hour after treatment the cat vomited 
2 ascarids and during the night it passed 6 ascarids. The cat was very 
sick for several hours, showed improvement in 6 hours, and was appar¬ 
ently normal in 2 days, continuing in good health for 2 weeks, at the end 
of which time it was given a larger dose. 
Cat. No. 6.—Six-weeks-old kitten, weighing 700 gm. Given 4 cc. of 
carbon tetrachlorid by stomach tube, a dose rate of 2.8 cc. per kilo. 
Within an hour the cat vomited 9 ascarids and during the night it passed 
