The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-02-03
WHOLE NUMBER 1.738.
TRICHIN.E SPTRALIS.
DEATH IN TTIE PoT-THE DREADFUL HOG
SoNING N AURORA.

TRlCHIN-f SPIRALIS.
DEATH IN TIKI PoT-rHE DREADFUL HOG Por-
SoNING IN AURORA.
The Cincinnati Commercial gives full ac--
count of the triehinae poisoning at Aurora,
in this State, as account OF which has al
ready appeared in the Sentinel. Each of
these persons was taken sick about the same
time, and had been sick about three weeks.
They were pale and emaeiated, but vet pre-
senting peculiarly swollen or puffy
appearance about the eyes and lower ex-
tremetiis; they had diarrhes, which at
intervals appeared 10 assume a dysanteric
character. The discharges from the bowels
had dark greenish color, little odor, and
were thin or watery, containing more orless
reddish mucus or slime, mixed with q sub
stance that resembled the serapings of flesh.
There was some pain in the bowels, also pain.
or a painful sensation or weakness In the
limbs; all OF these people have assumed
a peculiar position IN bed: they
lay upon the back with the shoulders drawn
forward, and the elbow sent so that the arms
and hands were carried across the chest and
well up toward the neck, while the knees
were drawn up as if to relax the muscles of
the body. Any attempt TO straighten the
| limbs, or any pressure apon the muscles or
| flesh caused pain, and feeling or soreness
I
lassitude, and depression, to-
gether with fever. In some cases the neck
about the root of the tongue was very still
and painful, especially 10 touch or motion.
We visited Mrs. Benter and found her and
her sshild very sick, heF physician ard those
who have seen her ciRsider her in a verv
criticsl condition. Her symptoms are typi-
cal of the disease as described bv scientific
medical writers of the day. The.
swellingor puffiness OF the eyeliSs and low
! is ma t-a1 - ole
some difficulty IN prOtrudlng the tongue; and
soreness over the larynx or upper portion
of the vocal organs. Her voice is hOarse and
weak, and she has the diarrhes with dysen-
| teric tendency, with increased fever in the
evening. Doctor Lamb informed Doctor
Sutton that he had four patients in one fami-
| ly, which he believed, had been made sick by
eating of the same pork which Doctor
Rectanus patients had been eating. This led.
to a careful examination of the suspected
pork, and the microscope revealed the fact
that it was swarming with minute maggots
called in scientific language "trichine spi-.
rails" We had the satisfaction of examining
the pork for ourselves with the microscope
and we found that every little piece of the
pork not larger than the head of a pin con-
tained one or more of the tYichinse
THE HOGS AND THEIR HISTORY.
Mrs. Threnart Zone of the sufferers men
), toned above) had two pigs, which she was
fatteniDg in pen in hsr garden, for her own
family use. During the summer these pigs
were allowed to run in thestreets for n short
, time, after which they were again kept in
the pen. Within few days alter they were
, penned up, one OF them began TO drOop, and
refused TO eat, the animal stood upon its legs
as if unable or unwilling to move, 2n1 when
forced TO move il appeared 10 be Verv
stiff, and its muscles tense; breathing was
somewhat difficult With the assistance or
her son and neighbor, Mrs. Threnhart ad-
ministered- repeated doses OF sulphur and
milk, and after three or four weeks the AMI
NAL began to eat freely and gained in flesh,
e and when killed seemed TO be healthy and
4 in good condition. The other hog which
was in the pen remained perfectly well, and
: careful examination of his flesh did not re-
2 veal any traces of trichina These facts, as
r DIR. Sutton remarks, are interesting, as they
= show that hog may be t2ttened in the same
pen, and kept in close contact with one dis
, eased with trichina, without contracting the
4 disease. They also show that hogs apparent
t ly healthy may be swarming with trichin;e,
: making their meat poisonous. The flesh of
D the hog which poisoned the persons we have
] named, must have contained thousands OF
5 trichin@ to every square inch.
;. There is nothing in the appearance os the
? flesh of the diseased hogs which the eve
alone and unaided could detect, excepting.
s perhaps, that the meat had rather a lighter
color and some very minute grayish, specks
: were perceptible to the eve. The fat parts
! looked healthy, and had the proper consist
Z ence.
9 DIR. Luton purchased the meat of both
: hogs in order TO prevent it from being used
for food and so that he Gould use it for sci
! entifc investigation, and study of the ma
' tureand Development of trichin@.