(Male Fern.)

Origin. - The dried rhizome of Dryopteris Filix mas Schott, or of Dryopteris marginalis (L.) Gray, plants indigenous in North America, a portion of South America, Asia, Europe, and some parts of Africa.

Description and Properties. - From 3 to 6 inches (7-15 Cm.) long, 1/2 to 1 inch (12-25 Mm.) thick, and, together with the closely imbricated, dark-brown, roundish, and slightly curved stipe-remnants, 2 to 3 inches (50 - 75 Mm.) in diameter; densely covered with brown, glossy, transparent, and soft, chaffy scales; internally pale green, rather spongy; vascular bundles about ten (Dryopteris Filix mas) or six (Dryop-teris marginalis) in number, arranged in an interrupted circle; odor slight, but disagreeable; taste sweetish, acrid, somewhat bitter, astringent, and nauseous. Aspidium contains filicic acid, aspidin, aspidinin (phloroglucin allies), which are thought to represent the active principles, fixed oil, a trace of volatile oil, and chlorophyl. Dose. - 1/2-2 drachms (2.0-8.0 Gm.).

Official Preparation

Oleoresina Aspidii - Oleoresinae Aspidii - Oleoresin of Aspidium. - Dose, 1/4-l fluidram (1.0-4.0 Cc.) [30 grains (2 Gm.), U. S. P.].

Note. - Oleoresin of aspidium usually deposits, on standing, a granular crystalline substance. This should be thoroughly mixed with the liquid portion before use. The oleoresin should be kept in well-stoppered bottles.

Physiological Action and Therapeutics. - Aspidium is the most reliable taeniacide known to materia medica. Though it is employed against both the armed and unarmed varieties of tapeworm, it is nevertheless against the latter that it is specially effective. In the cases of armed taeniae special precautions must be taken to ensure success.

The drug possesses tonic and astringent properties, and if taken in very large doses may occasion nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gastric and abdominal pains.

Several fatal cases of poisoning have occurred by reason of unlooked-for causes permitting absorption. The symptoms have been long in developing, and consist of pain, nausea, vomiting, occasionally icterus, confusion, clouding of consciousness, blindness, great muscular depression, trismus, mydriasis, collapse, coma, and death after a few days.

When given for the expulsion of tapeworm the bowels should first be emptied by a castor-oil purge, and then the oleoresin be administered in gelatin capsules or in emulsion.

Blindness has been a permanent effect on recovery from poisoning in some cases. 120 grains (8 Gm.) have been fatal for a child and 43 Gm. of root for an adult.

Previous to the exhibition of the anthelmintic the patient should live on exceedingly spare diet for at least twenty-four hours, and the medicine then be given in the morning fasting. A few hours later an active purge of about 1 ounce (30.0 Cc.) of castor oil or calomel and jalap should be given to expel the dead worm, which should be carefully examined for the head. If the head does not pass, the treatment should be repeated the following day or soon after.