We are informed by Dr. Frank, that a surgeon of St. Petersburg succeeded by passing the worm through a canula, and the canula through the sphincter ani muscle, so as to obviate the resistance caused by its contraction. In this manner, he easily succeeded in withdrawing the tænia whole, which is always desirable.
The writer of this article succeeded in removing many pieces of tænia from a female, by means of the tincture of black hellebore, given in doses of a teaspoonful for another object. The patient has since been affected with the same symptoms, and took to-day, Oct. 19th, in doses of ℥iss, repeated every hour, sixteen ounces of a decoction of the rind of pomegranate fruit, (none of the cort. rad. being procurable); after which she took a dose of castor oil. It is said, we know not on what authority, in a French journal, that this preparation possesses the same powers as the root. It may be so; but this patient had no discharge of the tape worm, after swallowing the whole of this very astringent decoction, and following up the plan by taking [Symbol: ounce]iij of ol. ricini.
Perhaps the tænia had been effectually destroyed before. She has seen none of the joints for 18 months. The accounts, however, of the expulsion of tænia by the bark of the root, are so encouraging, that we have much pleasure in recommending it to the notice of the medical public in this country.
FOOTNOTES:
[18] Ed. Med. and Surg. Jour.
[19] Ed. Med. and Surg. Jour. July, 1821.
[20] Dict. des Sciences Medicales.
[21] There can be no particular benefit derived from the distillation. The simple mixture of the materials, above indicated, is all that is necessary. Chabert's remedy is therefore easily prepared.
[22] Lond. Med. Repos. April, 1825.