The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-06-16
THE TRICHiNA In IOWA.
Interesting Particulars of the Fatal Cases
at neutrality-suspicious., Incidents, Etc.
MARION, Iowa, June II, 1866.

MARION, Iowa, June II, 1866.
As the recent appearance of the terrible
disease TrlchiniosIs in our midst is calculat
ed to exotic grave apprehensions and anxiety
throughout the northwest, and as these are
the first we'll authenticated instances in this
county, as far as | know, where the disease
has been observed in the human subject,
have taken great pains to obtain correct
history of the affair TO lay before your read
ers a
About the 5th of April last, all the mem
bers of large family, with one exception,
were suddenly attacked with peculiar symp-
toms. The family consisted of an old gen.
tleman named Bemis, wife and two sons,
son-in-law named Lansing, with his wife and
four children, in all, ten persons. The diff
ferent members were attacked either stimuli
tanecusly or in rapid succession with the
same train OF symptoms. Tue symptoms
partook somewhat of q typhoid character.
and as some of the conditions which are sup
posed to favor the production of typhoid
fever were present the attending physician
conducted the treatment accordingly. As 10
material Improvement of the symptoms was
manifested on the 3lst ultimo, two of the
leading physicians of the place were called
in consultation, the of which was that,
after a careful examination of the sym ptoms,
and their antecedent history, the disease was
unhesitattngly pronounced trichiniosis. On
being questioned, the facts were disclosed
that two or three days prior to the develop
ment of the primary symptoms, ali or tie
| family, with the exception mentioned above,
had partaken more or less freely of portion
| of unlocked ham, which had been obtained
| of q con of Mr. Bemis who lived in the coun-
try. and had been cured by him. Mr.. Ian
! sing, who was absent when the raw meat
was served, but who ate of the same ham af-
| ter it had been thoroughly boiled, has alone
continued in perfect health throughout. Mrs
| L y no ate of II when partially cooked or
| rare suffered from the same symptoms IN =
| miider form. This and other cumulative ev
| idence satisfied the physicians as to the na-
| turs Of the disease, and although many aztec
| ted to doubt the correctness OF the diagnosis,
| the dictunr of the doctors was accepted by
g maj ority of the people. The most exag-
gsrated reports were Immediately put into
circulation, and it is yet difficult to obtain a
correct report outside of the immediate vicin-
ity.
| Tue symptoms at the outset consisted OF
abdominal pain and diarrhoea, with lassitude
and indisposition to any kind of active exer-
else. The supervention of the secondary
symptoms was marked by general constitu-
tional disturbance high fever, profuse sweat
ing, boating of the face and feet. and in
| some Instances of other parts soreness and
stiffness of the muscles. The tongue soon
becomes dry and brown, with we'll defined
red edges and tip; the pulse weak and fire.
quent, with mild and transient delirium
which was more manifest during the evening
In some cases there is a great deal of pulmo
nary disturbance but whether 1t exists al
an essential element of the disease or az a
Complication, is not fully made out. 1t ii
characterized by pain in the side and breast
hacking cough, and the occasional eEpector
, alton of q very tenacious mucus, tingsd viii
, blood Emaciation in all is marked. @
The next morning after the consultation al
opportunity was afforded to verify the dag
, nosie, by the death of one of the children o
Mr.. Lansing. A post naOrtem was made, au'
p portions Of muscle from different parts of tn
: body were So bjected to microscopic examin
. alton The instrument used at the time wa
D an ordinary Craig microscope of low power
but even with il the parasite was readily dis
l. covered. DIR. Ristine Immediately sent
e | Chicago and procured a fine instrument G
800 diameters, through which the trIchin
= appears like an ordinary gartsr snake i
{ shape and size. One gentleman counted 10
trichina in q portion of muscle liz mol
Q square and LIZ inch thick which would Civ
Q ia round numbers 179 900 to the cubic inch
0 | much larger NUMBER Lhah fecollecs
D have ever seen reported.
!. Circumstances precluded n critical exaniu
!. alton of the internal organs, but upon d cur
8 sorry inspection the ascending and transvoI
o colon appeared very much congested, Will
! the. small intestines were, to all appearance
r healthy. One of the young men and anothe
of the Lansing children have since died, an
4 Mr. and Mrs Bemis have at present littl
, prospect of recovery Mrs. Lansing, VIII
f ate only of '.rare" meat, is convalescent
while her remaining two children and he
9 brother are improving. Tho treatment bs
{ been mainly supporting and palliative, witt
, the hope of prolonging life until the para
!. sites, having finished their lnigrations, shoult
become encysted and quiescent. The mum
Der of offspring generated by the paren
worm, though very great, appears not to b
| unlimited, and it evidently requires that the.
should be present in great abundance in or
der to produce sufficient arrangement of til
: functions to destroy life, as in all these case
C the severity of the symptoms was in direc
u proportion to the amount of trichinous mea
r eaten 1t is the prevailing impression mere
s. among medical r,en, and others, that tricnln
1t osis in man and the go called cholera In tn
" hog are analogous diseases, and that the OF
II cysted trlchins are to be found IN the hes
ID CT hogs which have recovered from the cho
/. era. AS no opportunity for testing the ma
in ter is at present furnished, it will have to b
considered as in allegiance. The antecedsn