Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-12-18
TRICHINE.
Some Interesting Facts About the Dis
eaSes


Some Interesting Facts About the Dis.
ease.
Trichin@ consist of male and female.
When mature the male is about one
twenty-fifth of an inch long by one-six-
hundredth of an inch in thickness /; the
female of at least twice this length and
thickness. The eggs measure about
IL, 200 of an inch in diameter, and each
female, though SO small, contains from
800 to 1000 ova. These, after fertiliza-
ton and six or eight days Of CESSATION,
are developed into embryos, which,
when extruded within the intestines of
an animal, commence at once their mi
grafton. Finding their way through the
intestinal walls, they travel on until they
locate themselves in OF between the
fbers Of some of the muscles. There
they coil into spiral form, and become
gradually surrounded by a calcareous
sac or cyst. When incysted, if left alone,
they soon change into so many specks
of lime; but, if ingested into the body
of an animal, they burst out and infest
the system. The sac has an ovoid or
lemon-like shape, and is visible some
times to the naked eye as whitish or
gray speck.
The muscles mostly affected are diff
ferently stated by the various authors !;
but, generally, the insects migrate to
the muscles Of the back, the chest, neck
and limbs, also to the muscles of the
eyeball and throat. For examination
during life, the muscular tissue Of the
under part of the tongue is preferable !;
fragment is obtained, and, when placed
under the lens of the microscope, the
free worm may be seen.
The hog is especially liable to trichi-
nae, but they have also been found in
the horse, sheep, dog, cat, mole, pigeon,
eel, and, some assert, in the OK. Ex-
perimentally, by feeding the animals
UPON infected meat, they have been
communicated to the rabbit, guinea pig,
and other creatures.
Sometimes death follows, but it is as
tonishing how little disturbance of health
occurs in large number of instances.
| Stiffness of movements and hoarseness
of the voice show the affection in the
swine in large number OF cases. Much
more often, however, they appear to be,
during Life, in as good condition as 9th
er animals not so affected. The number
of parasites in the muscles of an animal
may be immense. AS many as 10000
to Is, 900 have been found in cubic inch
of hogs flesh. Prof. Dalton estimates
the number of them in human subject
at 5000 to the cubic inch, and Prof.
Flint found in piece Of human mus
Gle one-twelfth of an inch square and
one-fftieth of an inch thick twenty-nine
trichine, thus giving little over 209,-
900 to the cubic inch, and 100000 to
10000, 900 Of them may exist in single
human body, according to examinations
made in several cases. It is said that
enough trichin@ may be present in half
a pound of meat to give birth in few
days to brood numbering over 30, 900, :
900.
1t was not until 1860 that the morbid
effects of the parasite, when inhabiting
the body Of man, were distinctly recog-
nized. Zenker, of Dresden, then found
trichin@ in ham and sausages eaten by
those affected by the insects. Wunder-
Itch saw two cases in. Leipsic in 1862,
and several persons died from this cause
the same year i'll Plowen, in Saxony. In
1863 occurred the most startling exam
pie of the disease in town in Prussia,
called Hesttadt. OF 103 persons there
dining together on festive occasion,
twenty died and eighty othersSwere for
some time very Ill. A part of their din
ner consisted of sausages smoked and
warmed, but not cooked. Some Of the
sausages left were examined, and found
to be swarming with trichin@. The
same was ascertained to be the case with
the muscles of those who had eaten OF
them. Since that occurrence number
of other instances have been reported
throughout Germany. In another vii
lage, called Hadersleben, of 1000 in
habitants, 800 were affected, of whom
eighty died. All of those affected
had eaten raw or but slightly cooked
meat, mostly ham or sausage.
The first cases of trichinosis recorded
in America were seen by DIR. Schuetler,
of New York, in 1864. About the same
time DR.. Voss, of the same city, saw
four persons so affected on steamer
from Bremen. Afterward cases were
reported from various parts of the coun-
try and number of cases occurred in
Canada.
Do not forget to have your meats well
cooked before eating them, for, by SO
doing, you need never fear to become
victims of trichin@.-Dr. L0gori, o.
Chicago.