Terrible C hack for Linked Lists

minimal_we.c

// a doubly linked list of "stuff"
struct item {
  int kind;
  struct item *next, *prev;
};

// an item can be a man eating bear
#define MAN_EATING_BEAR_KIND 1
struct manEatingBear {
  int kind;
  struct item *next, *prev;
  unsigned int number_hew_mans_eaten;
  char *name;
};

// ...or an apple pie, because they're very similar
#define APPLE_PIE_KIND 2
struct applePie {
  int kind;
  struct item *next, *prev;
  unsigned char numberApples;
};

unsigned int numberOfApples(struct item *list) {
  struct item *elt;
  unsigned int seen = 0;
  for(elt = list; elt; elt=elt->next) {
    if (APPLE_PIE_KIND == elt->kind) {
      // huge hack!!
      seen+=((struct *applePie)elt)->numberApples;
    }
  }
  return seen;
}