, 1866-06-15
q. 9 o. z az s,

leben has already (up to Dec. 2lst, 1869
produced upwards Of 80 deaths from
these figures we may fairly conclude that
the total number of persons attacked
amounts to several hundreds. All this
havoc has been caused by one trichinous
pig The butcher, having, recognised
the abnormal appearance of the meat of
this pig, had carefully disguised it by
mixing it with the meat of two healthy
pigs, or added it in small pieces 10 larger
Joints of pork to make up weight. He
made this confession shortly before his
death, which was caused by trichiniasis
contracted from his own meat. His wife
also died of The disease.
The most lamentable part Of the hiSto-
ry of this outbreak is, however, the cir
cumstaAce that the practitioner resident
at HederSleben failed to diagnose the
disease in the early stages of the first
cases, when there would have been time
to seize and destroy much of the fatal
pork then exhibiting in the butchers
shop. The sudden and Simultaneous
seizure of many persons with vomiting
and purging, with gripping, spasm, and
collapse, cllectuaIly simulated a com-
mencing epidemic of cholera, and opium
was used freely 10 arrest the symptoms.
When the course and fatality of the out
break at last led TO a correct appreciation
Of its nature, the time for prevention,
mitigation, or palliation had passed by.
Many physicians from all parts of Ger
many have gone to Hedersleben to stu
dy the disease. The public have been
reused once more to a sense of the dan
ger. Panic impels to unreasonable pro-
positions, and reasonable measures are
neglected. Ignorance and folly form a
grotesQue background,
Al Berlin, a meeting of town council
lors, butchers, doctors, and a sprinkling
Of the general public, was held shortly
before Christmas. Prof. Virchow adj
dressed the meeting, and urged the ne
c%essity Of inStituting a microscopical ex-
animation Of all pork. At the %concIu-
sion of his speech, he handed to the pre-
sident a piece Of smoked sausage, and a
piece of meat from a pig which had been
recognised as trichinous. Thereupon a
veterinary practitioner, Of the name Of
Urban, rose and combatcd all that
science has acquired during the last five
years us an |uulOuuucu llluSIOu. ElCll-
ina," he said, 'are the most harmless
animals in the world. 1t is only doctors
without practice who make a noise about
them in order TO create ome occupation
for themselves" sc. Great Interrupt
ton; the president is obliged TO stop the
veterinarian Drs. Virchow and Mason
demand an apology from Nj. Urban. DR..
Mason challenges Urban TO eat some of
the sausage on the presidents table.
Great applause.) Urban wishes TO ex-
plain. The meeting calls upon him to
eat. "He had not spoken of Berlin doc
tors (Eat eat y; but of those at He
dersleben. cEat y He would first see
whether the sausage contained trichinae."
[Great laughter and continued shouts of
EAT eat eat!"O Whereupon Nj. Ur-
ban suddenly seizes the sausage on the
presidents liable, bites off a piece, eats
it, and leaves the hall forthwith, amidst
the applause and laughter of the assem-
bly,.
Abouw five days later ION Dec. 23rd)
the OeMszeituag reported that the vete-
rinarian, Urban, was i'll. He was con-
fined to his bed, and his arms and legs
were paralysed. A hope was expressed
that the illness was not caused by tri-