The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-06
The Last New DIssnse.

From the L0ndon Lancet.
We have lately had to refer more than once to
the prevalence of parasitic disease in Germany,
arising from eating pork infested with the
newly observed trtcbfnd sptrdtts. Dr. Thudi-
chum addresses us with the following particu.
lars of the outbreak at Hedersleben:-
Reliable accounts OF the epidemic of trichinia-
sis at Hedersleben, In Prussian SaSony, SHOW It
to have been the most extensive and fatal of all
outbreaks hitherto recorded. While the Hett.
stadt outbreak caused severe sickness to upwards
of one hundred and fifty persons, and the death
of twenty-elght out of this number, the epidemic
of Hederseben has already (up to December IL,
1861 produced upwards OF ninety deaths, From
these figures we may fairly conclude that the
toJal number OF persons attacked amounts TO
several hundreds. All this havoc has been caused
by one tIlchinouS pig The butcher, having
recognized the abnormal appearance oil the meat
of this pig, had carefully disguised it by mixing
IL with the meat OF two healthy pigs, or added
1t In small pieces to larger Joints of pork to make
up weight He made this confession shortly be-
fore his death, which was caused by trichlniasis
contracted from his own meat. His wife also
died OF the disease.
The most lamentable part OF the history of
this outbreak is, however, the circumstance that
the practitioners resident at Hederseben failed
TO diagnose the disease in the early stages of the
first cases, when there would have been time to
SEIZE and destroy much OF the fatal pork then
exhibiting In the butchers shop. The sudden
and simultaneous seizure OF many persons with
vomiting and purging with gripping, spasm, and
collapse, efeotually simulated commencing
TO arrest the symptoms. When the course and
fatality of the outbreak at last led to q correct
appreciation OF its nature, the time for preven-
uon, mitigation, or palllatlon had passed by.
Many physicians, from all parts of Germany,
have gone to Heder5leben to study the disease.
The public have been reused once more 20 q
sense Of the danger. Panic impels to unreason'
able propositions, and reasonable measures are
neglected. Ignorance and folly form grotesque
background.
AT Berlin a meeting of town councillors,
butchers doctors, and a sprinkling OF the gene
raj public was held shortly before Christmas.
Professor Virchow addressed the meeting, and
urged the necessity of instituting micro
scopical examination Of all pork. At the con-
cllsion of his speech he handed to the Presi-
dent piece of smoked sausage and piece of
meat from a pig which had been recognized as
trchinous. T6eIeupon veterinary practi-
toner named Urban rose, and combated all
that science has acquired during the past five
years as an unfounded illusion. " Trichin8,"
he said, ''are the most harmless animals in the
world. It is only doctors without practice who
make noise about them in order to create
some occupation tor themselves" etc. (Great
Interruption; the President is obliged 10 stop
the veternarian). Drs. Vlrchow aud Mason
d,mand an apology from NJ. Urban. DR.. Mason
challenges Urban to eat some OF the sausage on
he Presidents table. Great applause.) Ur-
IAN wishes to explain. Ihe meeting calls upon
Iim TO eat. HE had not spoken of Berlin
eoCtOrs Ceat eat), but OF those at Hedersleben.
(EatD He would first see whether the sausage
ontained trichine." (Great laughter aud con-
inued shouts of "eat eat, eat" (Whereupon
4. Urban suddenly seizes the sausage on the
Presidents table, bites off piece, eats it, aud
haves the hall forthwith amid the applause and
laughter Of the assembly.
About five days later ION December 23) the
)eazeitung reported that the veterinarian. Urban
vas i'll. He was confined 10 his bed, and his
rms and legs were paralyzed hope was
Expressed that the illness was not caused by
richne contained in the sausage of which he
lad been badgered to swallow piece. VAN
hope
The Berlin butchers, finding their trade ex-
inguished held meeting on the 3Oth OF De
cember and resolved, with two hundred votes
against nine, to make arrangements for the
microscopic examination OF all pork They have
petitioned for the cooperation OF the munich
pality, and desire to make the examination obll-
gatOry upon all.
The butchers in the exporting towns of North
Germany also instituted microscopic examIna'
lions, Thus we learn that a butcher at Flens-
burg, In Schleswig, who kills $4,000 pigs pei
annum, the meat OF which is mostly exported to
England, has adopted this measure of precautiOn;
his isiaudable; but no one should rely upon such
examination exclusively. All pork should be
most carefully cooked before use. Trichin@ in
nan are prevented with certainty, only by care
ul and thorough cooking.
Some say, "We in England do not eat raw
neat, and therefore the danger OF trichiniasiS
ioes not affect u.s." This is an error. In a
east one county the agricultural laborers do ee
'aw bacon. But the strongest proof of the pos
ibility of tTichiniasis breaking out among III
It anv tune is the circumstance that the com
non tapeWorm from pork, I9ntG s0lluTa, i
always infesting a number of persons throughou
he Kingdom. Now, If measles survive sailing
moking, and cooking $50 called), and after
ngestlon, become tapeworms, JOTtiori it il
lear that trchin@ will survive these processes
because they are much better protected agans
heirlnfuence than measles. The trichina ha
)een discovered in this country; cases of trich
niasis have unquestionably been observed, ant
instances of encapsuled trichln@ are constant!
being discovered in our anatomical theatres
only last year subject with millions of trlch
nae in its flesh was dissected in the Middlesel
Hospital Why, therefore, disguise or deny tn
hanger? Let us prevent it. Let us be ready t.
meet il at all stages. Let us search for tn
,ource whence the pig receives the trichina an,
endeavor to close it up.