Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-02-28
ponK PANIC In PRUSSIA.
Rrishtfal Eject Of Diseased Meat
Description sf the malady m III

The Berlin Prussia) correspondent OF
the New York Herald writes, under date
Of December goth:
Perhaps many Of your readers may not
know what trichinn are, although they
are by no means q recent discovery. The
triehina spiraAs is q small microscopic
worm or animalcula, which was first OBJ
served by the distinguished anatomist,
Richard Owen, in 1885, and is found in
the muscles and intestines OF various ami
mails, especially pigs and rabbits, in such
enormous quantities that . single ounce
of pork is said to contain occasionally as
many a. one hundred thousand Of these
parasites. By partaking Of the meat in
fected with them they are transferred to
the human body, causing intense suffering,
which, in many instances, is followed by
q painful death. The first symptoms Of
trichinites were noticed some years since
in Dresden, but nj particular attention
was paid to It till the summer before last,
when q number Of cases occurred both
here and in other parts Of Germany, which
led to o medical investigation Of this novel
form Of disease. As usual, the doctors
were OF different opinions; some Of them
declared that It was nothing else than
what is generally called measley pork,
which had been known for ages and has
never been thought particularly danger
Gus, and although many people refrain
from eating Of the unclean animal, especi-
ally in the shape Of such German delica-
cies as raw ham and smoked sausagcs, the
whole affair was beginning to pass out
of memory. The pork butchers breathed
more freely and trichinaphobia was almost
laughed out Of countenance, when q few
weeks ago it was suddenly revived by the
announcement that at Hedersleben, q
small place in Prussian Saxony, the mys-
tericu1 disease had broken out with great
virulence and was spreading over the ad-
joining villages, its origin being distinctly
traceable to q trichiniferous hog which
had been killed by the butcher Of the place
and parceled out among the inhabitants.
Day by day the accounts grew more
alarming, whole families were stated to
have died of in excruciating agony, and
by tho last bulletins the number Of cases
actually amounted to over three hundred
and twenty, Of which eighty had already
proved fatal. It 10 impossible to describe
the CONSERVATION excited by the intelli-
gence; since the Hrst appearance OF tho
cholera, nothing like Il 10 recollected by
the Oldest inhabitant.
A general strike took place in the pork
eating line; in vain every butcher pro-
tested that his meat, at least, was sound
and uninfected by the formidable infu-
soria; the public turned from it in disgust.
In the meantime, physicians crowded to
Hedersleben from all parts Of the III
try to investigate the symptoms Of the dis
order, and to communicate the result Of
their observations to the newspapers, the
publication of which increased the univer-
sal panic. The poorer classes Of the pop
ulation, who (besides potatoes and rye
bread) live chiefly on pork, either fresh or
sailed, were in the worst dilemma Of all,
having the alternative of going without
meat altogether, or Of eating food which
they knew or suspected to be unwhole-
some, and which the first medical authori-
ties affirmed to DO dangerous to health and
to life itself.
It was proposed, therefore, that every
butcher should be ordered, under severe
pains and penalties, to have the animals
slaughtered by him submitted to a micro
scopic examination, and on Friday last a
great public meeting took place in which
the question was debated, and both pro
and anti. trichinist-the latter consisting
principally Of pork butchers and their re-
tainerS-were assembled in great force.
The meeting broke up, as is usual with
such meetings, after concluding that
"something must be done;" but no ac-
ton has been taken as yet by the city au-
thorities. The butchers, however, finding
the tide Of opinion running against them,
have given way so far as to have their meat
examined in the proposed, and in
almost every butchers shop you now see
Q handful posted up with the information
that thejoints Of pork, hams, sausages, etc.,
have been chemically analysed by Doctor
Such.a-one, aud found free from trichine.
It remains to be seen whether this will
suffice to calm the ap~prehensions Of the
public, who do not often attach much
weight to such testimonials. In Berlin
there have not been many cases OF the dis.
ease-about thirty in all, Of which thirteen
have ended fatally; and it 10 alleged that
Of ten thousand hogs slaughtered here not
more than one has been affected with
trichinia ; but Of course this does not pre-
vent people from being frightened. .
Tho same correspondent, writing q week
later, says:
Tho t~richinaphobia continues to rage
with undated intensity. In Berlin sew
eral new cases Of the sickness have appear
ed. At Hedersleben the number Of deaths
amount already to near a hundred, and
attacks Of trichinitis are reported from
many parts Of the country. The pork
dealers are at their wits end ; all their as
seyertions that every ounce Of their wares
has been microscopically examined and
proved to be perfectly free from the
noxious animalcule /; all the medical GER
tiHcates invoked in their behalf are disre.
Rarded BY the people, who stubbornly
refuse to touch anything appertaining to
the porcine genus.