Male Fern
Dryopteris filix-mas L.
While little used in much of the world it is regarded in Germany. “The rootstock of the male fern is used in medicine. The primary active principles are phloroglucin derivatives, mainly filmarone and aspidinol, but there are many more. The secret of getting male fern extract to act reliably is to use fresh fern rhizomes. The drug should be discarded after one year of storage. Many herbalists who were esteemed for their success in treating intestinal worms owe their success to the simple fact that they insisted on personally going to the forest to harvest the rhizomes to ensure that they were fresh. It is also important to ensure the dose is large enough to be effective, yet low enough to avoid toxic side effects. Overdosage can lead to toxic liver damage and jaundice. Unfortunately, tapeworms do not care whether they body they are infesting can tolerate larger or smaller doses of the drug. Rather high doses of male fern extract are needed to cause enough damage to the worms to make them incapable of adhering to the intestinal wall so that they can be eliminated with the help of a laxative. Hence, it is pointless to administer low and insufficient doses while worrying about their effects on the host. It is better to prescribe doses that are high enough to be effective, while counteracting potential side effects with additional measures capable of minimizing the rigors of the worm cure. These measures should include a day of bedrest, a semi-solid food diet, and plenty of glucose for adequate liver cell protection. The semisolid diet should also be continued on the following day.”
- Herbal Medicine