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The Latex of Ficus Trees and Derivatives as Anthelmintics

Historical Account^1,2,

The value of the latex of certain Ficus trees as a vermifuge was known in South America as early as the Eighteenth Century.

In a book entitled Maison rustique à l'usage des habitants de Cayenne, the Chevalier de Préfontaine (1), in mentioning the high prevalence of "worms" among the population of Cayenne, states that for their treatment the people used the "milk of a species of fig." In his short statement he says that this juice had to be taken mixed with water as the popular belief was that it would attack and corrode the intestines.

The first scientifical paper on the subject was published in 1770 by Bajon (2), who praised the value of this anthelmintic. He credited its introduction as a remedy to a negress brought from Africa.

¹ The writer wishes to express his sincere thanks to Professor Ernest Carroll Faust for his interest and cooperation in the preparation and publication of this work. Thanks are also extended to Dr. A. Peña Chavarria of Costa Rica, to Dr. Emmanuel Dias, Dr. Herman Lent and Dr. Samuel Pessôa of Brazil, Dr. Wenceslao Montoya T., Sr. A. Mora Naranjo and Sr. Daniel Samper Ortega of Colombia, for supplying original publications or copies and abstracts of some of the less accessible literature on the subject.

² This study was aided by a grant to Professor Faust from E. Merck and Co., Rahway, New Jersey.