Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-10
TRIOHINIAsIs.

ble disease III Germany, and especially IN
Saxony, which brings to mind some of the
most terrible plaques of Egypt. The dis
ease in question, termed Trichiniasis,
caused by the ravages on the human mus
Gle of minute worm, termed the Irichinls
Spiralis, coming so close upon the cattle
disease, did indeed, to the ignorant, appear
to Justify some of the terrible prophecies of
Dr. Cumming, but to the more intelligent,
and especially to the medical mind, it came
as an old story. Singularly enough, the
worm which is now occupying the attention
of German anatomsts was discovered as
long ago as 1885, by Prof. Owen Both Mr..
John Hilton, a demonstration of anatomy at
Guys hospital and Mr.. Wormald, the de-
monstrator at ST Bartholomew's had two
years previously observed small white bod
les interspersed among the muscles OF sub
| iects under dissection, and that they were
of gritty character was evident from the
manner in which they turned the edges of
the knives One of these specimens of
affected muscles was, in the year mention
ed, given to professor Owen by Mr.. Paget,
then student for inspection. These speck-
| les the distinguished anatomist discovered,
under the microscope, to be the capsule OF
a verv fine worm, which was seen coiled
up closely within il.
From its hair-like fneness, its dlscoverer
derived the term "trichina," and from the
spiral manner in which it was invariably
found coiled up within its envelope, he ad-
ded the word "spiralis" Hence the name
| by which it is known. An account of this
ewly-discovered paras te was published
| by Professor Owen in the Transactions of
the Geological Society in 1885, headed
Description of Microscopic Entozoon in
testing the muscles of the human body"
This paper gave very minute account of
the creature, illustrated with drawings,
and established his claim to be the discov-
erer of one of our latest found inhabitants,
which has made such a sensation In the
! world
The discovery made much noise at the
time throughout Europe, and the Professors
paper drew the attention of the anatomsts
of Europe to the worm. But one or two
Cases were recorded of the presence of the
parasite in the human body, and the mat
ter remained in allegiance for some years,
until the German Professors again drew
attention to it, and completed our knowl-
edge of its method of introduction.
Professor Luschka, of Tubingen, carried
our knowledge of the worm perhaps up to
its highest point anatomically, and in the
same year the method of transmission of
the worm from one animal to another was
made out by a series OF experiments insti-
tuted by Herbst Won Nachrichten. He
gave the flesh of a hedgehog which he
knew to be infested with trichina, to young
dogs, and speedily found that all their vol
untary muscles were full of these worms.
But although this important step was made
out, little notice was taken of it. His ex-
periments were repeated in Scotland and
England, but the peculiar manner in which
the worm got into the muscle was yet un-
discovered. Kenker, in 1860, was lucky
enough to supply this knowledge.
The body of servant girl, who had died
with many of the symptoms of typhus fever,
came under the inspection of the anatomlst
He found her voluntary muscles to be full
of trichin@ and, upon inquirlng into her
case, he found that she had assisted In the
making of sausages about three weeks be,
fore she was taken i'll, and that she had
eaten some of the raw meat few days be-
fore her illness commenced. The butcher
who had killed the pig, and several mem
bers of the family, had been affected IN the
same manner as the girl, but had recover
ed.
The sausages and hams were examined
and were found to be full of worms "encap
suled," as it is termed, or surrounded with
an envelope but, in the girl, the worms
were found among the muscles in free
state. From this evidence the manner IL
which the parasite obtained entrance tC
the human body was fully made out. PORK
vehicle
means of which the parasite was enabled
to enter the human body.
But says the reader, why should porE
only be the means of conveying the entozos
to the human body; The reason is, that the
pig is the only animal eaten by man that II
partially a carnivorous feeder. 1t Is sup
posed that the pig obtains them from deat
= rats, which are often infested with these
worms, or other garbage. Birds, althougl
: carrion feeders, cannot, for some unknown
: reason, be infested with the worm. In tn
horse, the calf, and the young and old dog
, ays Dr. Thudichum, the young trlchlna ar
born, but they cannot pierce the intestlnes
and therefore cannot immigrate into tn
: flesh.
Of course it is just possible that tn
worm may be conveyed, like the tape-worn
through the medium of impure water. w
{ are not likely to drink this, but it often hal
pens that fruit and vegetables are watere
4 from impure tanks, into which these cre'
lures may have got.
10 1t is certainly an objection to the moder
system of watering with liquid manur
that in this way the tape-worm, and po
~ sibly the trichina, may find their way on
, the vegetables which we eat, and in tn
y. way we may be receiving noxious intest
nal worms into our system. For instanc
nc some people water their strawberries vii
u liquid manure, not thinking of the hit
-. serpent that may be hidden in the frui
~ It is now known that, after entering tt
~ Il, alimentary canal, the parasite finds i
'h breeding ground, and brings forth immen
numbers of young, which Immediately b
o- gin to make their way through the coats
:, the intestines and migrate into the mu
A cles.
49, 1t is singular fact that these disagree
IT, able adventurers always select the volu
tary muscles, or those which are moved
7l' our will. The heart and kidneys, and tho
parts of the viscera which act independel
" of the will, are scarcely ever atiecte
lis It is, indeed, matter of dispute how t