Page:The Indian Journal of Medical Research, Volume 9.djvu/294

 THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ANTHELMINTICS AND THEIR THERAPEUTIC VALUES IN CONNECTION WITH THE HOOKWORM INQUIRY IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY.

Rev. Father J. F. CAIUS, s.j.. m.s.c.i. (Paris), Professor, Si. Joseph's ColIe(/e. TrichinopoUj,

AND

Dr. K. S. MHASKAR, im.d., m.a., b.sc, d.p.h., d.t.m. & h.. Officer in charge, AnkyJostomiasis liiqiiirii in the Madnis Presidenci/. [Received for publication, February 1. 1921.] XIV. PULVIS AREC'yE. History.

The areca or betel-uut palm — Areca Catechu, Linn — is indigenous to the Sunda Islands, but is now widely cultivated in tropical countries of the Far East, where the seeds mixed with lime and betel pepper — Piper Belle, Linn — form the masticatory so well known by the name of Betel.

In China and India the ground areca nut is used as an anthelmintic, and its supposed efficacy in promoting the expulsion of both the tapeworm and the round-worm in the human subject has led to its introduction into the British Pharmacopoeia.

Barclay, who appears to have been the first practitioner who called attention to the remedial value of the areca nut, the betel nut of commerce, in the expulsion of tapeworm, administered it, in powder, in doses of from four to six drachms, stirred up with milk.* Powell^ ( 206 )