Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-03-12
[From the Baltimore Sun.l
Trichiua.

MEssRs. EDITORS :-As great deal has
been said aud written on the subject of
Trichina without giving the public that
information relative thereto as / think
they are entitled to at the hands Of the pro-
fession, and as think it the duty of the
physician to quiet the fears as well as to
take care of the health OF the public,
| have thought proper to pen the following
lines on the subject of Trichina, a disease
which | shall prove has no existence ex-
cept in the brain of the enthusiast or cattle
speculator. a communication from mem
ber of the profession published In your pa
per last week, defines the disease to be "a
disease begOtten. as tits supposed, by eat
ing raw or very underdone pork, or aDy,o Of
its forms IN sausage, &c, in which spe
cies of worm has been deposited" With
this definition of the supposed disease, i
shall proceed to show that the existence of
the 'sTrichina Spiralis,o which is said to be
the cause of this disease or the eating of
pork in which these animalculB exist, has
nothing to do with the production of dis
ease whatever: that it is no new thing, and
that their existence in the human muscles,
where they dwell sometimes in myriads,
has been known to the scientific for many
years; for instance, they were first discov-
cred in the human body by Mr.. Hilton, of
Professor Owen, as far back as 1885. Mr..
Owen on examination of portion of the
human muscle, found certain specks, and in
eacn speck or cyst minute cylindrical
worm cOied up in 2 or 2l9 spiral turns,
The worm usually measures about 1-30th
of an inch in length. and 1-700tb of aninch
in diameter, as examined under the micro
scope. Now this is the little insect which
has been accused of doing so much damage
to the human race. | boldly assert that it
never did and never will destroy human
lite; that they have. in all probability, ex-
listed in the human flesh always, certainly
for the last half century and | think it a
fair deduction, taking 1t (for the sake of the
argumenD as granted that we may receive
them through the instrumentality of the
hog. that they are not more dangerous to
life on that account. But the idea that we
receive them thus is simply ridiculous. We
are not cannibais we co not eat raw meat
of any description, and the application of
cooking heat is certain death to all living
animals, besides the sailing and smoking of
pork into bacon Is sure destruction TO them.
They do not inhabit the muscle of the
hog more than that of any other ami
NAL or Of man himself. | defy any one to
prove by the record of the last thirty five
years that a solitary death has been caused
beyond doubt by the presence of the Tri-
china. The celebrated DR.. Watson, of Lon
don, on this subject remarks: "0ne would
imagine that the presence of these innum.
cradle living beings inOr between the mus
cular fibres would be likely to give rise to
symptoms yet no indication of the pres
ence of these worms seems to have been af-
fOrded in those instances in which the con-
ditiOn of the subject in whom they were
found was known during life.n These
worms in the human being occur more fire.
Quently in the fiat muscles. as those of the
chest and back, aud have even been found
in the muscles OF the eve, ear, tongue, pal
ate, throat. Sc. DR.. Wood, of Philadel-
phia, the distinguished author of Woods
Practice, also says: Thus the Trichina
spiralis sometimes inhabits the muscles in
great numbers, without apparently inter-
fering with the action of these organs, or
with the general health in any way" |
think enough has been said to vindicate
those innocent worms from the craze charge
made against them In conclusion, Iassert
that the charge made against them is with
out the shadow of a foundation in fact, and
would advise the community if they desire
to eat pork to do so, provided they do not
eat it raw or tainted.
j. A. READ, M, D.