Pomegranates are in season & can kill parasites, particularly tapeworms

In my perpetual quest to look for answers or remedies, I came across some interesting information on ridding tapeworm and using pomegranate. Pomegranates are in season now so this might be a good time to experiment to see what will and will not work. In reading through this, I may decide to try the pomegranate rind in wine method or the Aztec method which seems rather simple.

The below came from several sources.  Hopefully, I have put this together into a more comprehensive format. Some of this is from ancient times to the 1930’s.

 

Pomegranate is one of the oldest of drugs, having been used from time immemorial. The bark and its alkaloid pelletierine are now by common consent, acknowledged as specifics for the removal of tapeworm.

1897 – John Llyod, The Western Druggist

In 1878 and 1880, Tanret discovered several alkaloids in the root-bark, the most prominent of which he called pelletierine. This has been shown to possess the anthelmintic properties of the

root. The rind of the fruit also contains a considerable amount of tannic acid, about 19 per cent. It is stated that the rind of the fruit of the wild pomegranate is more astringent than that of the cultivated.

Make an infusion of the rind of pomegranate. ”The Chinese also were acquainted with the anthelmintic property of the root. Among the Roman authors, some, as e. g. Cato Censorius and

Pliny, recommend the fruit rind: others, e. g. Celsus, the bark of the root as an efficient vermifuge. The Arabian writers maintain that the root-bark is a perfect specific for tapeworm.

Constantinus Africanus, a prominent physician of the Salernian school of medicine, is quoted by Tragus as follows: “Boil the peelings of pomegranate in wine, and drink this potion; it will kill all the worms, especially the kind called ‘ ascarides,’ and it is the peculiar property and nature of the pomegranate to kill worms.”  [My Note: I suspect that red wine is used because of higher tannin properties and this method could be comparable to using the root bark of pomegranate.]

This virtue of the plant, curiously enough, afterwards seems to have been entirely overlooked by the medical profession, and slumbered until the beginning of this century. In 1807, Dr. Buchanan, an English physician in India, announced to Europe the fact that in India, from time immemorial, the root of the pomegranate tree was used against tapeworm with miraculous success. He cited

successful cases from his own practice and that of others: “ I have seen two species of tenia expelled by this medicine; one is solium, the other not yet described.” The correctness of these statements was subsequently borne out by the testimony of various eminent physicians. Dr.

Gomez of Lisbon successfully treated fourteen persons for tapeworm in 1822, and the results were afterwards published in France by Merat.

 

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Pomegranate is considered to be an anthelmintic or substance that destroys and expels intestinal worms. Of all types of intestinal worm infestations, Pomegranate is said to be most useful in cases of tapeworm, an incredibly long parasite, which attaches itself to the intestinal walls of its host by means of spined or sucking structures. Pomegranate is believed to contain an unusual alkaloid content, called pelletierine, which was discovered in 1878, and apparently effective when expelling worms and parasites from the intestinal tract.

 

The bark, both of the root and the stems of pomegranate tree, is well known for its anthelmintic properties of destroying parasitic worms. The root-bark is, however, preferred as it contains greater quantity of the alkaloid punicine than the stem-bark. This alkaloid is highly toxic to tapeworms. 90 to 180 mi. of the cold decoction of the bark, preferably fresh bark, should be given three times at an intervals of one hour to an adult. A purgative should be given after the last dose. The dose for children is 30 to 60 ml. The decoction is also used for expelling tapeworms.

 

The bark is used mainly to expel tapeworm, but as it is not purgative, its use as a vermifuge needs to be preceded and followed by a brisk purge with as castor oil. 

 

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Here’s a similar recipe to the above from another source

As a taenicide a decoction of the bark may be made by boiling down to a pint 2 OZ. of bark that has been macerated in spirits of water for twenty-four hours, and given in wineglassful doses. It often causes nausea and vomiting, and possibly purging. It should be preceded by strict dieting and followed by an enema or castor oil if required. It may be necessary to repeat the dose for several days.

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Foy, as well as Brenton, recommend to prepare the decoction by placing 2 ounces of the root in 1 1/2 or 2 pints of water, and boiling down to 1 pint; this is to be strained, and from 2 to 4 fluid ounces given for a dose every half hour or hour, until the pint of the decoction has been taken. It commonly occasions several stools, an increased flow of urine, or nausea and vomiting, owing, it is supposed, to the agitation into which the worm is thrown from its presence. Sometimes joints of the worm begin to come away in less than an hour after the last dose. But often the doses must be repeated several successive mornings before they take effect, and it is right to repeat them occasionally for 4 or 5 days after the joints have ceased to come away. Laxatives should be administered from time to time. It is said to act with the greatest certainty when the joints of

the worm come away naturally. The dose of the rind or flowers in powder, is from 20 to 40 grains, and in decoction from 1 to 2 fluid ounces.

Eclectic physicians, as a rule, follow Prof. Locke's method of administering granatum [pomegranate]. According to Dr. Locke, is the best remedy for the removal of the worm, but as ordinarily recommended, the dose is too small. Its great drawback is in tendency to make the patient vomit, which may, in a measure, be prevented by administering a little lemon juice and keeping the patient quiet. When vomiting can be prevented, it seldom or never fails to bring the worm whole. Prof. Locke's method is as follows: Press 8 ounces (av.) of the coarse bark (not powdered), into a vessel, and pour upon it 3 pints of boiling water.

Boil, strain, and then boil this down until the finished product will measure 1 pint. First prepare the patient by giving him at night a brisk cathartic, such as the antibilious physic, and in the morning allow a light breakfast. At about 10 o'clock in the forenoon administer 4 fluid ounces of the decoction. For the purpose of causing it to pass quickly into the intestines and thereby prevent its absorption as much as possible, a fluid drachm of fluid extract of jalap with a drop of oil of anise or cinnamon may be added to the dose. In 2 or 3 hours repeat this dose in the same manner. When its action begins give an enema to hasten its operation (see Locke's Syllabus of Mat. Med.). Should this treatment fail the first time, it may be repeated another day. As to treatment with the alkaloid the sulphate of pelletierine was first employed, but was superseded by the

tannate which, on account of being tasteless and having less of a tendency to provoke nausea or vomiting, seems the preferable form to employ. The patient should have a light diet, preferably milk, the night previous to taking the medicine.

Single doses of about 7 grains are now administered upon an empty stomach, the patient being kept quiet in a reclining posture. The dose is usually preceded by a drink of water, and followed at regular intervals by more water. A purgative, like fluid extract or compound tincture of jalap, is administered about 2 hours after taking the pelletierine tannate. Some prefer castor oil as an evacuant. To insure the passage of the worm entire it should be received into a vessel of warm water, which will prevent its separation into segments. [A better choice maybe to make sure that a sufficient amount of warm water is in the toilet bowel.]

 

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University of  Notre Dame

(Rappe), Bishop A(madeus): Cleveland, (Ohio) to Archbishop (Anthony Blanc: New Orleans, Louisiana)

A priest of (Rappe)'s diocese has, according to his doctor, a tapeworm, and to cure him needs 2 pounds of pomegranate roots and 2 pounds of pomegranate rinds. (Rappe) asks (Blanc) to send this remedy regarded as infallible in a case like this. (Rappe) was sad to hear of (Blanc)'s accident and is happy to read that he is better.

 

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Aztec Method of Use
Soak 60 grams of root then boil in 1 liter of water, boil until water gets half way in container,  from this mixture,  drink half before bedtime,  then drink the rest upon awakening. After 1 hour take a laxative of sodium sulfate or 45 grams of castor oil. If the tapeworm is not removed repeat the process the following week.

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Otto Mausert, N.D. (1932)

FORMULA NO. 306
For Tapeworm

1. Bear's Paw Root Extract           6 drachms
     Considered a specific for the removal of tapeworm.
2. Mandrake Root Extract             1 1/2 drachms
     A valuable worm expeller.
3. Jalap Root                                 4 drachms
     Acts on bowels producing watery stools.
4. Broom Pine Oil                          12 drops
     Useful in the expulsion of worms.
5. Chloroform                                 3 drops

   Mix well and fill into 6 gelatine capsules equally divided.
    

Directions: Take one capsule every ten minutes until all are taken. Examine the stools closely and do not forget that the thinnest part bears the head.  Doctors generally let the patient fast for a day or two before taking tapeworm remedies, but this is unnecessary, because the worm being a parasite, cannot be starved.  This only makes the patient feel weak and nauseated, and when he finally takes the medicine on a starved stomach, he may throw it up. A far better way from my experience, is to advise the patient to eat, for a day or so, foods the tapeworm dislikes, such as onions, garlic, pickles and salted fish.  This weakens the worm and tends to loosen his grip, so that when the medicine is taken, it acts upon the tapeworm and causes it to be expelled more easily.

 

The formulas in this book are all written in weight and liquid measure, as this is the only way to get uniform and correctly dosed preparations.  The expected results depend to a great extent on this exactness.

 The measurements you find in so many formulas, such as tablespoonful, cupful, handful, etc., are very inaccurate, because tablespoons, cups and hands are not all the same size.  But a weight, such as an ounce, is always the same, no matter what is weighedlead or feathers.  A tablespoonful of a herb, if cut fine or powdered, will hold twice as much, or more, than a tablespoon of a coarser cut.  Therefore a preparation made by measure is inaccurate.  It will be different every time it is made and the results will naturally be uncertain.

The following is a table of weights and measures:

    DRACHM equals 60 grains for weight and 60 minims (drops) for liquid measure.
    OUNCE equals 8 drachms for weight or liquid measure.
    POUND equals 16 ounces for weight.
    PINT equals 16 ounces liquid measure.
    QUART equals 2 pints liquid measure.
    GALLON equals 4 quarts liquid measure.

 

PROPORTIONATE DOSE FOR CHILDREN

Children should never be given medicine in the same doses recommended for adults.  The usual proportionate dose, where the medicine is suitable for a child, is as follows:

     4 YearsOne - Sixth Adult Dose
     6 YearsOne - Fourth Adult Dose
     8 YearsOne - Third Adult Dose
     12 YearsOne - Half Adult Dose
     15 YearsTwo - Thirds Adult Dose

 

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Composition

Tanret recommended the tannate of pelletierine as the most efficient form of application. The bark of the stem contains principally pelletierine, while in the root-bark methylpelletierine predominates (Fl¨¹ckiger, 1891).

Pomegranate bark contains about 20 per cent of tannin, which was believed by Rembold (1867) to consist of two astringent principles, one being gallotannic acid, the other punicotannic acid (C 20H16O13), peculiar to this bark. Diluted sulphuric acid hydrolyzed it into sugar and ellagic acid (C14H8O9) (Fl¨¹ckiger, Pharmacognosie, 1891). The presence of gallic acid and mann has been observed by various authors (Jahresb. der Pharm., 1867, p. 139). The bark leaves from 10.5 to 16.5 per cent of ash. The anthelmintic properties of pomegranate bark are due to the presence of several (4) alkaloids, discovered by Tanret in 1878 and 1880 (Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1880, p. 416), and to which he gave the collective name pelletierine, in honor of the celebrated French chemist Pelletier (1788-1842). C. J. Bender (1885) proposes that more euphonic name punicine. By mixing the powdered bark with milk of lime, exhausting with water, shaking with chloroform, and abstracting this solution with diluted acid, a solution of the 4 alkaloids is obtained. From this solution sodium bicarbonate liberates methylpelletierine and pseudopelletierine, which are removed by chloroform; the addition of caustic potash then gets free pelletierine and isopelletierine.

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Precautions

In reading through all about pomegranate or pelleteirine the following precautions should also be noted if overdosed. I don’t think the decoctions are anymore lethal than wormwood, when followed properly. Below are the precautions.

Either a decoction of the bark, which is very bitter, or the safer, insoluble Pelletierine Tannate may be employed. Overdoses are emetic and purgative, produce dilation of pupila, dimness of sight, muscular weakness and paralysis. Temporary general paralysis is said have occurred in one woman after a dose of 5 grains of pelleteirine.

While many contend that it has a powerful control over certain of the nervous functions, others declare it innocuous. As great diversity exists in regard to dosage as to its effects. The dose of pelletierine has been given as ranging from 1/2 to 8 grains; the sulphate in about 5-grain doses; the tannate in doses of from 5 to 23 grains, about 7 grains being the average dose. Pelletierine preparations are usually sold in solution containing enough for one dose. Dose of pomegranate flowers or rind, 20 to 40 grains.

Rabbitears

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