The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-02-15
The Herodian Hnrrnr

Herod the Great may not have died
from partsking too freely of triekiua
sFirahs with his roast pig, but the pre-
sumption that he did is supported by
the historic assertion that he was eaten
by worms before the breath was fairly
out of his royal body. It is apparent
that he died of no ordinary disease.
Other and greater men died before
Herod, and the histoFiogrsphers were
at no palma to mention the particular
disease that took them out of the
world
1t was reserved for an age Of micro
scopes to discover that HerOdisn horror
vas only an aggravated case Of trichina
in the stomach and viscera. We are
Indebted to the German physicians for
this important addition to the list of
Ills which flesh is heir to-swine flesh
in particular. 1t is not a pleasant re.
lection that single ounce of this flesh
may contain q hundred thousand ani-
placl,'g, and that while they show the
same preference for swine that the
devils did, they readily colonize in the
human stomach, and are indefati2Able
pathtinders through the human system
Microscopic as they are, they endure
extremes OF temperature with a ten
aeity OF life that is wonderful They
boil, fry and stew with composure. In
deed, any degree of heat under 2I2
rather quickens than retards their vi
tslity. Nor does the absence of heat
destroy them. They become torpid,
like frogs and lizards in winter, but at
the first senBstion of heat awaken to
an alarming activity.
Good people, who dearly love roast
of pork, a slice of ham, or a savory
sausage, have hattered themselves that
tTIehfRg were indigenous TO Germany
and would coniine their labora to the
domesticated and demoralized offspring
of the wild boar of the Thuringian for
ests. Not bit of it Since the Ger
man physicians made such valuable
use OF their microscopes, others have
been engaged in inspections of pork,
and the result is the announcement
that t,ichias have developed themselves
in the swine of America The Chicago
papers inform Us that q load OF pork
put on ssle at Peoria, Illinois, last week,
was examined microscopicslly, and two
of the hogs we're alive with triching.
Dressed hogs, examined st Dixon, were
also discovered TO be inhabited by these
infnitessimal creatures. The St Louis
papers Of Saturday announce the pois-
oning of two families in that city from
eating diseased pork, though no at
tempt appears 10 have been made TO
discover the character of the disease
Doubtless it was the Herodian horror
There are two ways Of keeping tr.L
ina out OF the human stomach. Buy
microscope, or leave OF eating pork.
If you are as fond of roast pig as Chas
Lamb was, aud will have it, keep mi.
croscope in your kitchen. 1t will have
10 Plsy an important part in domestic
economy. Engage no cook who is not
as familiar with the microscope as with
a waffle ring. Avoid sausage-German
sausage, Imported particularly Yield
not to the temptation of Bologna, and
eschew Westphalia ham. Eat spsring-
ingly of pork, though you know who
raised it and are positive that it was
corn-fed. A microscope would not be
Objectionable by the side of your plate,
TO inspect the morsei that tantaliIes
you on the forks end. 1t will be a slow
process, this inspection by mouthful,
but it will be safe.-CSn Com.