Chinese Medical Journal

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USE OF PUMPKIN SEED WITH ARECA NUT IN TAPEWORM INFECTIONS 27

evacuated, the patient may take his meal. In some cases bowel movement may be delayed until the afternoon, but as a rule it does not exceed six hours from the commencement of the treatment. If after six hours no worm is passed out, the patient may be ordered to go home and take his food. In the same afternoon or the next mornings, the worm may be evacuated. d

THE PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTION OF PUMPKIN SEEDS ON TAPEWORMS*

As has been mentioned, in the course of treating the human cases, in vitro tests were made at the same time on the pharmacological action of pumpkin seeds on tapeworms. In our preliminary tests with pumpkin seed decoction it was found that with its use the segments of the middle and the posterior parts of T. saginata became thinner and broader, the central part of the segment became depressed, and at the same time there was a state of paralysis. The scolex and the anterior part of the worm on the other hand remained actively motile. These phenomena are quite different from those produced under the influence of areca nut. Based on this preliminary observation, the following tests, in vitro at the temperature of 37 C, were carried out with T. saginata and T. soliwm:

Experiment 1. T. saginata, test solution: . 40 per cent decoction of oilfree pumpkin seed powder. When the worm was in normal saline, the scolex attached itself to the body segment of the worm. Six minutes after the worm was put into the test solution, the scolex detached itself from the place of attachment. The scolex and the immature segments moved actively. Segments of the middle part of the worm became thin and broad, with a depression at the middle of the segment. The gravid segments of the posterior part of the worm became paralyzed and showed only slight movement upon being touched. Another six minutes later, the scolex attached itself again to its body, but after two more minutes it loosened itself. Another six minutes later, i.e. twenty minutes after the worm was immersed in the test solution, the thinning and broadening of the segments of the middle and posterior parts became more marked. The depression at the center of the segments, especially those of the middle part of the worm, became more pronounced. The segments of the middle and posterior parts were now in a state of paralysis; they moved upon being touched but remained quiet when left alone. The scolex and the immature segments, however, kept on moving actively even when they were not touched.

“The tapeworms used for the experiments were from patients after treatment with either areca nut alone or areca nut and pumkin seed. After they were washed jn normal saline, they became active and motile.