Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-10

walls, separating the fbers as a man sepa-
rates the branches of hedge, when creep
ing through it, and are now either at once
in muscular tissue, their proper feeding
ground, or get into inhospitable tissues
and cavities, and there either perish or es-
cape from them by a renewed effort at To-
comotion, enter the circulation a second
time, and ultimately perish in the lungs, or
arrive in some muscle to obtain a late asy-
lum" This hypothesis certainly seems the
most reasonable, as it is in agreement with
the known means by which other entozoa
emigrate. Arrived at the muscular tissues
it seems again questionable whether the
worm attacks the muscle only, or whether
it is not deposited in the intervals which
occur between the bundlesIof muscles
Leuckhart says they penetrate the sarcole-
mma and eat the muscular fibre itself DIR.
Thudichum says that he has never seen
but once the worm in the muscle, but al
ways outside of it. 1t is certainly strange
fact that, in many cases, persons attacked
with trichiniasis have not only perfectly
recovered from its effects, but have become
as strong as ever. 1t could scarcely have
happeeed that the muscles OF these patients
had been fed upon by vast colonies ofwOrms
which would have inevitably destroyed
them beyond repair. The probability Is
that the worm finds its way into all the
tissues. Between the third and fourth
week after immigraton,st sthe trichina has
become full grown, and now 1t begins to
prepare its capsule. 1t becomes fix d to
the spot in which it is, solid matter is de-
posted around it, and curled up it lies i'm
movable in its plastic capsule, and dies un-
less received again into the allmentary ca
nal of another animal, which in this case
of course it never does.
The presence of the seen capsuled trich-
ina in the muscles may cause irritation,
but that speedily subsidies; and it is pref
ty clear that many persons suffer little
harm from them whill thus currled up, as
they have been found in the bodies of sub
iects that have been dissected, and whose
previous history gave no evidence OF their
existence.
On the other hand the disease, when Sc
we're, puts on many of the characteristic
SYMPTOMS of wellknown diseases. The
fever caused by the presence of the parent
worms in the intestines may be, as indeed
it often has been, taken for gastric fever.
Then, again. when the young worms are
immigrating into the muscles, the most ex-
cruciating agony seizes the patient he
cannot move muscle without the utmost
pain, and he lies generally upon his back,
with his legs a little apart, covered with
perspiraton The face and neck become
tumid with dropsical effusion, which gen.
orally extends to the legs and abdomen
An attack of acute rheumatic fever appears
to have seized the individual, but for the
want of the heart symptoms. Aagaln, the
disease stimulates cholera and typhus, and
indeed poisoning, in many ofits symptoms;
but those who have seen genuine case OF
trichiniasis cannot be deceived, as the
whole symptoms present are consistent
with no other disease. In cases OF doubt
piece of the living muscle has been excised
from the biceps muscle of the arm and
this test is almost certain to be conclusive,
as the worm is distributed, in severe cases,
in profusion through every voluntary mus
Gle of the entire body.
DR.. Thudchum, speaking of child who
died of this disease, says in his report to
Mr. Simon Zone preparation from the
biceps muscle of child, four and halt
years of age, which died on the seventy
ninth day, contained the astounding num-
Der of fifty-eight Such a preparation was
estimated to weigh cne fifth of a grain, and
therefore every grain of muscle contained
on an average one hundred trichine. Now
| assuming the weight of the muscle OF an
, adult to only forty pounds, and assuming
, him to be victim of trichiniasis, and the
/ parasites equally distributed throughout
, his body, he would contain upwards OF
, twenty-eight millions of these animals"
The agony of this plague of worms at
| tacking the fine fbers of nerves distributed
throughout the frame, can from this esti
, mate be thoroughly understood in the fe
. yer and weakness caused by the destruc
: ton of fiber, and the irritation is accounted
) for with equal cause.
The process of the disease is pretty much
! al follows During the first stage, which
g lasts from a week to ten days, there is
a great intestinal disturbance, caused by the
n presence of the parent trichine in the i'll
e testnes giving rise in severe cases to al
:, arming diarrhna, as may be expected.
e The second stage lasts fortnight o
), three weeks, seldom longer during thi
e time the immigration of the young trich
ine, Matched in the intestinal passage, i
e taking place, hence the agony Throughout
/, the body, the dropsy in the face, the hui
e ried breathing, and the fever A!thoug
D the dropsy becomes genuine, it in no mai
d ner depends upon kidney disease, as tina
a. organ is never affected in any way
In the fourth week the immigration ha
n enterely ceased and the worm is begin
e. ming to be incapsuated. From this tim
3 the patient begins to recover, the appetit
70 improves. the pains become less, and unles
Is complications arise, as in other severe Fl
u VI vers, the patient gradually passes into
g state of health.
Ia Death may, however, take place at an
i stage of the disease. At the great ou
no break of this disease which took place
IS Cable, in Germany, it was observed to ha
so pen on the fifth, eight, fourteenth, twent
%, first, and forty-second days of the Hines
of Death generally is brought about by e
s haustion the exhaustive diarrhosa whic
sometimes occurs, together with the inab
.e- ity to take food, and the terrible agon
n easily explains this termination
at The difficulty connected with the trea
Sc ment OF this disease is consequent upc
1t- the impossibility of knowing what is 7
3D. ally the matter in its early stages, whit
he treatment is alone useful In regular OF
Al IL.