Earth Worms as Test Objects for Determining the Value of Drugs to Be Used in Human Intestinal Helminth Infestations

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“…Further lengthening of the chain is attended by diminishing activity. These results run roughly parallel to those obtained by Lamson, Brown, and Ward (1935) for the alkyl resorcinols, but the ketones show appreciably less activity than the corresponding non-ketonic alkylresorcinols (Table XI).…”

“…"Dass die Regenwurmer in derselben Weise wie die Spulwurmer auf Santonin mit Erregung reagieren wurden schein hochst wahrscheinlich," he wrote. But Lamson and Ward (1936) condemned the use of earthworms as " irrational " and showed that " a comparative study of the lethality of 121 widely diversified chemical substances on both earthworms and pig Ascaris shows no correlation of action. "…”

“…Earthworm or leech muscle, by contrast, reacts both to the nicotine and muscarine effects of acetylcholine, as well as to adrenaline and a number of other compounds to which isolated Ascaris muscle shows no response whatever. To the evidence already adduced by Lamson and Ward (1936) we can thus add direct pharmacological evidence of the unsuitability of annelid material as a test object in anthelminthic studies.…”

“…A series of alkylated resorcinyl ketones was now examined. Resorcinyl methyl ketone itself was inert, but it was thought that the introduction of longer alkyl radicals into the side-chain might reveal some latent anthelminthic potency, much as the bacterial (Leonard, 1924) and the anthelminthic (Lamson, Brown, and Ward, 1935) potentialities of resorcinol are augmented.…”

A Study of the Anthelmintic Activity of Some Lactones and Peroxides**University of Kansas, School of Pharmacy, Lawrence

“…Differences of opinion exist as to whether the worms should be stored and studied in oxygenated solutions or under relatively anaerobic conditions. While it has been stated that the ascarid lives in a nearly anaerobic environment and should be tested under similar circumstances (7), the statement has also been made that complete anaerobiasis is not obtained under the conditions of testing (8). Furthermore, the intestinal gases of the hog are reported to contain about 5% oxygen (9).…”