MEDICINE.——Though numberless medicines are extolled for expelling and killing worms[135], yet no disease more frequently baffles the physician’s skill. In general, the most proper medicines for their expulsion are strong purgatives; and to prevent their breeding, stomachic bitters, with now and then a glass of good wine. The best purge for an adult is jalap and calomel. Five and twenty or thirty grains of the former with six or seven of the latter, mixed in syrup, may be taken early in the morning, for a dose. It will be proper that the patient keep the house all day, and drink nothing cold. The dose may be repeated once or twice a week, for a fortnight or three weeks. On the intermediate days the patient may take a drachm of the powder of tin, twice or thrice a-day, mixed with syrup, honey, or treacle. Those who do not chuse to take calomel may make use of the bitter purgatives; as aloes, hiera picra, tincture of senna, and rhubarb, &c. Oily medicines are sometimes found beneficial for expelling worms. An ounce of sallad oil and a table-spoonful of common salt may be taken in a glass of red port wine thrice a-day, or oftner, if the stomach will bear it. But the more common form of using oil is in clysters. Oily clysters, sweetened with sugar or honey, are very efficacious in bringing away the short round worms called _ascarides_, and likewise the _teres_. The Harrowgate water is an excellent medicine for expelling worms, especially the _ascarides_. As this water is impregnated with sulphur, we may hence infer, that sulphur alone must be a good medicine in this case; which is found to be a fact. Many practitioners give flour of sulphur in very large doses, and with great success. It should be made into an electuary with honey or treacle, and taken in such quantity as to purge the patient. Where Harrowgate water cannot be obtained, sea-water may be used, which is far from being a contemptible medicine in this case. If sea-water cannot be had, common salt dissolved in water may be drank. I have often seen this used by country nurses with very good effect. Some flour of sulphur may be taken over night, and the salt-water in the morning. But worms, though expelled, will soon breed again, if the stomach remains weak and relaxed; to prevent which, we would recommend the Peruvian bark. Half a drachm of bark in powder may be taken in a glass of red port wine three or four times a-day, after the above medicines have been used. Lime-water is likewise good for this purpose, or a table-spoonful of the chalybeate wine taken twice or thrice a-day. Infusions or decoctions of bitter herbs may likewise be drank; as the infusion of tansy, water-trefoil, camomile flowers, tops of wormwood, the lesser centaury, &c.