Historical Worm Powder (Anthelmintic Remedy)
A historical medicinal powder containing calomel and compound powder of scammony, once used for expelling intestinal worms. This recipe is preserved for historical interest only and should NOT be prepared or consumed, as it contains toxic mercury compounds.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 grains Calomel (mercurous chloride) (TOXIC - Mercury compound, historically used as a purgative. DO NOT USE. Approximately 130-195 mg.)
- 10 grains Compound powder of scammony (Historical purgative preparation containing scammony resin. Approximately 650 mg.)
Instructions
- 1SAFETY WARNING: This recipe contains calomel (mercurous chloride), a toxic mercury compound that causes severe poisoning, kidney damage, and neurological harm. Modern medicine has completely abandoned mercury-based treatments. This recipe is documented solely for historical purposes. If you have concerns about parasitic infections, consult a licensed healthcare provider who can prescribe safe, effective modern anthelmintic medications such as mebendazole or albendazole.
- 2The historical preparation involved rubbing together 2-3 grains of calomel with 10 grains of compound powder of scammony in a mortar until thoroughly mixed into a fine powder. This was administered twice weekly or more frequently until worms were expelled. The calomel acted as a purgative and the scammony as a drastic cathartic, causing severe intestinal irritation.
