Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-04-27
Trichina Disease.

Vhe Boston Medical and Surgical Jour
nal OF the 9Th ult. has long article on
this subject, investis eating the matter sci
entiically, from which we take the follow
ing extract:
II being established that man gets the
disease from swine, these investigations
have been directed to the source of infec-
ton in the latter animals. Many imma-
ture round worms hove been found in
animals and accused Of being ,richina,
but more careful examinations and expert
ments have subsequently, proved their in
nocence. Among these are to be mention
toned worms found in moles, frogs, insects
and angleworms, upon which swine are
known to feed. Even vegetables have
been laid under suspicion. and particularly
little nematoii worm which infests the
bed-root, but this too was found TO be ZOO
logically distinct Statements have also
been made that beef is not free from tri-
chine, but there is no grounds whatever
for such reports, and the same may be said
of the flesh Of birds like ducks, geese and
pigeons which might receive infection by
means Of the intestinal discharges Of the
trichinous animals, for it has been found
impossible to reproduce them by artificial
feeding.
1t may be safely stated that the only
natural occurance of trichin@ is practically
limited to the hog, although they may be
accidentally developed in the cat and rat,
and artfcially in the rabbit There can
also be little doubt that the disease is kept
up between the two former precisely as
, the tape worm continues to exist. Man
we know, gets trichinosis by eating trichi
nous pork, but how can the hog, who doe:
e not eat man, become in turn infected? ? Hi
n cannot eat the eggs OF trichina as he doe
O those of tenia. because there are none {,
r eat, that is, the worm is viviparous, an'
= the young, we know, remain within the hu
= man host. Without doubt, however, man,
IN OF the mature females escape from the in
r, testines after impregnation, and in thi
n way are eaten by swine. 1t is well know
I'd that when the diarrhma is severe, durin
ho the first stages Of an attack of the diseas
of the patient is not so severely affected a
ho others who have partaken of the sam
ad pork, and this is due to the escape Of th
ad parasite before the young are born in gres
Al quantity, and such persons, not sick cnoug
IN to keep the house. and discharging the
pr excrements at large. are the probab
sources of infection IN vine. IL has,
fact, been noticed by Virchow, that ep
- denies succeed each other Mt regular il
r. tervals. After injecting themselves in th
ne way just described, the swine are not agai
in killed until the next general slaughterin
lg season comes, when another follows, 10 b
succeeded by others after similar inter
TO val. 1t may also be possible that portion
r, of trichinous flesh may pass through th
10 human intestine unchanged and thus b
Y eaten by other animals, or thai rats ma.
n eat it originally, or in the objections .
Y. man, and be subsequently, eaten themselve
5, by swine. We have seen that dogs canno
re be made trichinous by eating diseased hesl
I'd but they may discharge the contents G
% their intesiines, containing partially deveI
I'd oped trichina, where swine have access I
MS them ; aud lastly, il is no; impossible tia
KS swine may infect each other by intestins
e. trichn9 alone.
ne 1t is a question of importance how Ion
. this entozoon may retain its vitality in. tn
I'd tissues, and be capable Of transmitting tn
e. disease to man. Among the cases whic
I'd have been carefully investigated in Ger
he many as bearing upon this point, is on
communicated to Virchow's Archiv, whic
o. possesses peculiar interest as having orig
d. mated in this country. In 1851, woma
a was admitted to the Altoona hospital wit
he a cancer of the breast Of twelve year
ng standing, which was removed, and strang
sa to say, on microscopic inspection, found
rd contain considerable number OF trichina
p- This led to an inquiry, which gave the 70
nd lowing information lin 1856 she was rt
e. siding in the city of Davenport, Iowa,wit
ce her brother, and was taken suddenly
a with gastric and rheumatic symptoms, Il
ID gether with edema and partial paralysi
ri Convaescence was very protarcted, al
nd she never recovered the free use of h,
ST. fingers at the piano. Her brother was a
ed tackled with similar symptoms at the san
he time, but they were much less severe
Die After her death at the hospital in Is6
W. many Of the muscles were found to co
he tain encysted trichina, the capsules beir
ge. very eretaceous. Portions of this tissl
rs; were given to eat which was kept
re, confinement, and after its death on Il
INT sixteenth day its muscular system W