Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-07-27
TRlHcHlalAsIs m iowa.
Medical statsment Of the Late Casss-Their
History, Dsvslopemsnt. and Treatmsnt.

History, Dsvslopemsnt, and Treatmsnt.
To the Editor Of the Dubuque Herald =
I have just visited the locality of the
recent fatal cases of trinchiniasis, that
| from the physicians in charge of the pa
tients, and by uniting our investigations,
a Just treatment or effectual prevention
might be determined
At Marion. Linn county, and vicinity,
fifteen well marked cases have occurred.
Five of these have died, three or four re-
main i'll, and the Remainder are conval-
escent.
The first cases were in Marion town
ship, twelve miles northeast of Marion.
1t is a settlement of New England farm
ers. Three girls and three boys, Of the
ages of Is, IA, "A, Il, 9, and years,
children of NJ. G. Jordan, Wentworth
Jordan, Benz. f. Jordan, and widow
Daggett, on their way from Sabbath
school, April q, stopping at a house,
took lunch of sandwiches in which
raw smoked ham was used. Two days
after, all but one of them were attacked
with diarrhBa, developing into all the
symptoms of trichiniasis. Effective ca
thartics were given at once, which doubt
less expelled the greater portion of the
worms before they had time to multiply
fatally. Oae, a girl of sixteen years, ex-
lameneas Of the muscles on the second
and the diarrhOea on the third day. She
was more severely i'll than the others, had
inflammation Of the lungs, and when seen,
June 19, was hardly able to walk; had
also cough and hOarseness of voice
No cathartic was given to her at first, as
to the others. A boy Of ii years old IS
the only other case of the six not nearly
we'll He is thought to be beyond danger,
unless Oyertaken by relapse.
Soon after the attack these cases came
under the care of DR.. Ristine, of Marion,
who, after careful observation through
several weeks, recognized the true source
of the sickness, though not until other
persons In the town had shown symptoms
of the same disease. Portions of the
meat from the hog from which the ham
used In the sandwiches was made were
put under the microscope, and found
swarming with myriads of triehinae,
which, although apparently dead, once In
the stomach would become living and pro-
life worms. The corresponding ham. as
also the one first mentioned, after being
cooked, was eaten harmlessly by seven
other members of the family and by Wis
itors. The animal was selected for It's
healthy appearance from a herd which
had been affected with the hog cholera,
was fattened for family use and killed In
January last.
The cases in Marion were nine in num-
Der, members of one family of that town.
They were Mr. Bemis, aged Y his wife,
81; their two sons Whittier and Henry,
aged 20 and %; their daughter, Mrs.
Lansing, with her four small children
These all became i'll about May l, after
having eaten freely at several times of
raw smoked ham from four to ten days
previously. Mr.. Lansing ate as freely
from the same ham 11eti-cOO6ed, and
showed no symptoms of the disease
The severity Of the case was thought to
be Ia direct proportion to the amount of
raw meat eaten by each person
Five of these nine cases proved fatal
one, little boy, June 1; Henry B. on
the Sd another child on the 8th Mr..
Bemis on the 18th, and Mrs. B. on the
18th. Examinations after death Of two
of the bodies showed the parasites IN the !
muscles. estimated by others and myself
at about 2OO,O per cubic inch. Some |
were also found in the lungs and spleen. |
On going for samples of meat from the |
same hog out of which the infected ham
had been taken, the farmer reported that
he had just fed the last of it to a sow who |
deVOured her Own young, having been !
told the flesh of her own kind would de- |
stroy that propensity. The remedy prov /
ed quite effectual, inasmuch as she died /
in few days, as was stated, Of hog chole- |
"a. Samples of flesh from this animal, /
now in my possession, show an abundant /
infusion of the trichinae.
The symptoms of this disease, as shown /
in these cases, where diarrhea on the |
second day; pain, soreness, and debility
of the muscles Of the limbs on the third /
day, with swelling of the face; followed
on the fourth and fifth days by swelling
of the hands, then of the feet and legs,
with fever of a low grade, quick pulse,
furred tongue, and sleeplessness. The
soreness and pain, with fever,
thirst, tenderness of the abdomen, and
profuse sweating, continued IS the main
symptoms until death, In the second or
third week; or eOnvalescence slowly es
tablished in from four to eight weeks.
Two of the fatal cases had serious pneU-
monte complications. The diarrh0ea
persisted in some who recovered. The
only distinct variation observed between
these and the symptoms described by
other observers, is the shOrtness of the
interval between the eating of the meat
and the commencement of the diarrh0a.
Some place the time from FIVE to eight
days Continued observation can alone
which is correct, or whether
the period of incubation varies thus wide
" in different cases.
ASA HORR, M. D.
DUBUQUE, Iowa. June %. 1866.