Chinese Medical Journal

pape No ys

USE OF PUMPKIN SEED WITH ARECA NUT IN TAPEWORM INFECTIONS 23

with the filtrate of boiled pumpkin seed powder as given in series f, which gave a rate of cure of 88.88 per cent. The 4 cases treated with the residue of boiled pumpkin seed also resulted in complete cure. Though the number of cases in this series was too small, it indicated nevertheless that the active principle was not completely removed by boiling in water.

Greater anthelmintic effect can only be obtained when pumpkin seeds and areca nut are used in combination. After pumpkin seeds are taken, time must be allowed for the anthelmintic to act inside the intestine; and when pumpkin seed powder is used the action is quicker. In series b, for example, when intact kernels of pumpkin seeds were taken by mastication and the decoction of areca nut was taken at the same time, the rate of cure was only 67.5 per cent, a result only slightly better than when areca nut was used alone. However, when pumpkin seeds were taken first (the intact kernel by mastication, the whole kernel powder or the oil-free powder), followed two to three hours later by a dose of areca nut decoction, the rate of cure (series c: d and e) was 92.1-100 per cent or an average of 95.19 per cent. Such a high rate of cure has never been obtained with the use of areca nut alone, the rate of cure with areca nut alone in the treatment of T. saginata infection being 30-50 per cent. The high rate of cure secured in the present work is, therefore, undoubtedly due to the combined use of pumpkin seed and areca nut.

2. Cases with Taenia solium infection. As mentioned before, the number of cases of T. solium infection treated in the present work is small. The results of treatment of 20 cases of this infection are given in Table 2. These results cannot be said to be entirely due to the combined use of pumpkin seeds and areca nut, since areca nut alone can also produce a high percentage of cure. On the other hand, the fact that the 2 cases treated with pumpkin seeds alone did not effect a cure shows that pumpkin seeds when

Table 2. Results of treatment of 20 cases of T. solium infection

n un n a Interval ore o 2 Kind of Method of ad-= between 52 83 6&9 Rate of a ee Ons Dosa t ad eet 2 preparation ministration ge (gm) Panes Oy og os Os cure (%) ) ° o ° (hour) z z z Pumpkin seed Whole kernels Whole # kernel only by mastication kernel na 2 2 f ms o Areca nut de- Areca nut Areca 5 2 BEocetion only decoction nut 80-100 0:5 nO 8 = £8 : “ Whole kernels pump eeed by mastication, Whole = u ernel an kernel 75-120 4 0 100 c areca nut de- 3 1 4 areca nut de- aati Areca coction LO out 45- 80 same time 2, Pumpkin seed Whole kkermels Whole by mastication, A kernel and 95-3 hours la. Kernel 60-120 0.5 4 4 0 100 areca nut de- {¢) areca nitit Areca i coction nut 80

—— eee

decoction