Chinese Medical Journal

20 THE CHINESE MEDICAL JOURNAL

pumpkin seed oil were used. In all in vitro experiments with either the decoction of pumpkin seed or areca nut, a proper amount of sodium chloride was added to make the solution isotonic.

During the whole course of the investigation, the results of the in vitro tests and of the treatment of the human cases were closely correlated from time to time, so that improvement in the procedures may be made in time. The results of treatment of human cases are given first.

THE TREATMENT OF HUMAN CASES

Pumpkin seed and areca nut either alone or in combination were used in the treatment of 185 cases, of which 165 were T. saginata and 20 were T. solium infections. As hospitalization was found unnecessary, all the cases were treated as outpatients. In order to find out the therapeutic effect of pumpkin seeds, the cases treated were arranged in several series. The aim being chiefly to improve the method of treating T. saginata infection, our cases were mostly patients infected with this parasite. However, we treated also a few cases of T. soliwm infection for comparison. Of the 185 cases, only a few required treatment more than once; those deserving special mention are recorded as illustrative cases.

In all the cases the administration of the anthelmintics was followed _ by a dose of saline purgative of 60 cc of 50 per cent magnesium sulphate.

The criteria for cure were: 1. the passing out of complete worms including the scolex, 2. no worm segments in the feces for at least three months after treatment.

1. Cases with T. saginata infection. The cases are divided into 8 series -

according to the method of treatment as follows:

a. Pumpkin seeds alone. Whole pumpkin seed kernels 120 gm taken by mastication, followed three hours later by magnesium sulphate given by mouth. Nine patients were treated and: only 1 was completely cured. In some of them only gravid segments were passed out, in others parts of the worm broken by pulling were passed out, and in still others neither gravid segments nor parts of the worm were found. Subsequently, we learned through inquiry by mail that all the 8 patients had gravid segments in their stools as a result of their treatment.

b. Areca nut and pumpkin seeds taken at the same time. Areca nut 50-100 gm,* pumpkin seed kernel 50-120 gm.** The pumpkin‘seeds were

“The dosage of areca nut varied according to age and constitution of the patients treated. In general, the dosage was of 8 kinds, 50, 80 and 100 gm. For children under 10 years 30 gm or less were used. In all cases where decoction was used, it consisted of 150-200 ce,

“At the beginning of this investigation, 120 gm was used. Later it was reduced to 50 gm, as it was found that the results were about the same.

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