Jan. 20 ,1923 
Carbon Tetrachlorid as an Anthelmintic 
185 
for a period of 30 to 41 days and a total of 16 to 66 cc. without any evi¬ 
dence of bad effects, and that the two animals receiving the highest totals, 
48 and 60 cc., showed no macroscopic or microscopic lesions post mortem 
as a result of the treatment. These doses are 10 to 40 times greater for 
weight of animals treated than the indicated dose of 3 cc. for man. He 
concludes that the toxicity of carbon tetrachlorid is very low for monkeys 
and probably for man also, and that repeated doses would probably be 
well tolerated by man. 
TESTS ON MAN 
One of the writers (16) has reported a test in which he took 3 cc. of 
carbon tetrachlorid without any precautions as to food and on the same 
day did a day’s work, including a post-mortem examination of some horses. 
He smoked more than usual and took more than the usual amount of 
exercise. No unpleasant effects were experienced and the only sensa¬ 
tion noticed was a feeling of warmth in the stomach during the first half 
hour. The other writer (Shillinger) has since made the same test with 
much the same result, except that the drug could be tasted at intervals 
for several hours and there was a slight transient dizziness. Both of 
these effects were perhaps associated with a slight condition of indiges¬ 
tion already present when the drug was taken. Dr. Karl Hanson, of the 
Biological Survey, has also taken a similar dose without bad effects. 
We are informed by Dr. E. Encisco that the drug was tried on human 
patients in Bogota, Colombia, for whipworms about four years ago and 
then abandoned, since it was not satisfactory for removing these worms. 
As we have noted, whipworms are difficult to remove, owing to their 
location. They constitute^ therefore, a decidedly unsatisfactory test 
object for anthelmintic efficacy in general. Doctor Encisco did not 
recall the dose used. At the present time this drug is being tested in 
human medicine for the removal of hookworms on the basis of the findings 
in the case of the dog hookworm. If it proves equally effective and safe, 
its obvious advantages may make it the drug of choice for removing these 
worms from man. 
An editorial in the Lancet, London, for February 25, 1922, 4 reports 
that the administration of a single dose of carbon tetrachlorid to natives 
of the island of Fiji resulted in the removal of 98 per cent of the hook¬ 
worms present. In Nature for May 27, 1922, 5 there is a statement as 
follows: “A telegram has been received from Fiji reporting the successful 
treatment of more than 12,000 hookworm cases by carbon tetrachloride 
with 90 per cent of cures with one dose, and the removal of 98 per cent 
of the worms.” 
Leach (26) has a detailed report of the treatment with carbon tetra¬ 
chlorid of 14 persons, 13 of whom were infested with hookworms, in 
Ceylon. Previously, some of these patients had been given two treat¬ 
ments with betanaphthol, totaling no grains (7 gm.), with the removal 
of an average of 8 hookworms per patient. Carbon tetrachlorid removed 
an average of 58.7 hookworms per patient, this drug being given in doses 
of 3 cc. to 3 patients, 4 cc. to 8 patients, 5 cc. to 1 patient, and 10 cc. to 1 
patient. The patient receiving 10 cc. was given 2 cc. more 15 days later. 
This man was a prisoner condemned to be hanged. He passed 55 hook¬ 
worms, 4 ascarids, and 67 pinworms. On post-mortem examination the 
digestive tract contained no hookworms or ascarids but had 3,492 pin- 
4 carbon tetrachloride in ankylostomiasis. In Lancet, v. 202, p. 391. 1922. 
* treatment oe hookworm cases by tetrachloride. In Nature, v. 109, p. 688. 1933. 
