The Portland daily press., 1866-06-05
Miscellany.
Experiments with the Trichinae in Russia.
\ DISPATCH FROM UNITED STATES CONSUL.

=
A DISPATCH FROM A UNITED STATES CONSUL.
The following is copy ola dispatch received
at the State Department from our Consul at
Elsinore. JE5
CONSULATE OF THE q. s. A, AT ELsINoRE.
May 9th, 1866.
Hon r W Seaoard. Assistant Secretary of State
Wdshington:-
SIR: From our American papers 1 notice
that the question of trichine in hogs also
commences creating some excitement in the
States. The report of the terrible mortality
In Germany, caused by the eating OF pork in
lected with trichine created great excitement
here, and many examinations OF pork and
hams, as well in the raw state, as sailed, smok-
ed, and cooked, have been made. From the
careful manner in which these examinations
have been made and from the published re-
suits, am fully persuaded that pork thorough
ly sailed and smoked, and well cooked, is as
harmless as pork ever has been. 1t is the eat
ing OF the mooled or but very imperfectly
smoked and sailed meat, as sausages. etc. So
largely consumed in Germany, where the pres
ence and danger of live trichine NAV be ex-
pected.
snail take the liberty here to alIude to a
lew OF the examinations. which have been
made here and their results, not so much be-
cause they may add anything new, but that
they may be useful in sustaining facts already
reported upon.
One of the first experiments was made with
smoked ham, which was found to contain
trlchln@ In the capsules, Notwithstanding the
ham had been smoked and sailed. The find
ing OF these trichin@ created great panic at
the time, and the police finally succeeded In
hndlng the counterpart of the ham. Experi-
ments were at once made with them both. T
shall not here detail the minute examinations.
but merely give the general result, f
One pound OF this ham was fed to pig,
Wnlch previous examination had satisfied
the examiner to be perfectly free from tri-
chime. The meat was eaten by the nip with
great avidity. After the expiration Of some
Time the pig was killed and examined, and
found to be perfectly free from trichine. A
piece OF raw pork was next examined and
found to contain live trichine. The expert.
nent with this pork was made on rabbits
The two rabbits which were fed with this
meat were afterwards found to contain tri-
chime but to no very great extent.
A third experiment was made with a smok-
ed ham, and the animal eating thereof was
found to contain an astonishing number of
trichlne, the examiner calculating the num-
Derto have reached couple OF hundred thou
sand. The weight of the muscles of the ral,-
bit was nearly pound, and it is certainly re-
lnarkabe how so small an aniIca, containing
so enormous number of parasitical animals.
nevertheless, felt as well as the other rabbits
aud had as good an appetite as any of them.-
1t became query how so large quantity of
trichine could have developed themselves
from the small amount of meat which had
been led to the rabbit, and the examiner there
lore concluded that the rabbit must have eat
en- some other meat infected With trichinae,
aside from that fed to it, thus causing a great
eriniection. This opinion was further strength
ened by the fondness OF the rabbit for meat
Some OF the rats found on the premises were
therefore killed and examined and found to
contain trichin@, and some of them to an as
tonjshing degree.
A number of other examinations of rats
have taken place with the same results, and
there can be NO question that the rats are
great cause OF injecting the lhogs with tri-
chime.
A very elaborate examination has also been
made to find whether the methods of smoking
and sailing, as used here are sufficient to kill
the trichin@ in the hogs, and the result has
been, though smoking and sailing would kill
the trichin@, the usual mode of boiling and
frying was also found sufficient to kill the par
asites.
Ii a small rabbit can feel comfortable with
couple OF hundred thousand trichine in its
muscles, and that the rats which were found
to contain certain trichinw were as lively as
rats well can be, the poisoning by trichin@
sinks down to a very small affair, if little pre-
caution is used.
trust our pork raisers and pork consumers
Will not be over alarmed, but cook, smoke,
salt, boil and fry out excellent American pork
as usual, and feel perfectly safe iii eating the
same. We have the trichin@ here, but people
have got over the first scare and eat as much
pork as ever. s,en
We have no rinderpest or cholera in this
country as yet.
have the honor to be, sir,
Your very obedient servant,
GEO. r. HANSEN,
U. s. Consul at ElsinOre.