The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-05-13
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TRICHsNosIs.

TRICHsNosIs.
Themodern knowledge of trichinosis
and the steps by which that knowledge
has been gained, form one of tho most
curious chapters in the annals of science.
Many years age Sir James Paget, then
student, observed that the muscles Of
a subject which he was disseeting, were
thickly beset by fine particles like
grains of white sand, and he applied
himself TO ascertain their nature. lie
found that each particle was little
cell, or bag, covered by calcareous Gu
yelope, and containing tiny worm,
curled up into spiral twist The
worm received the name of teichiaa spi-
raiis. and was described as parasite
inhabiting human muscles but not
even guess was made as TO the way
in which it gained access to them, or as
20 the symptoms which might indicate
its presence. In course of time the
natural histories, the migration aud the
changes of form of other parasites hav-
ing in the meanwhile been closely stud
led, trichin@ were again seen in human
muscles, and tho discovery led to mi
mute inquiry into the particulars OF the
illnesses lrom which the person in whom
they were found bad suffered. IL was
ascertained that lie had, either as the
Immediate precursor of death or at
some former period, been attacked by "a
.mAlady which had been called "fever,"
but which presented unusual sy nptoms;
and rs the chief varieties of fcvers had
then recently for the first time been
distinguished from one another, these
unusual symptoms were perceived to
pos ess significance. Ii was suggested
that they might be connected with the
presence Of the Parasites, and expert
ments were devised for the purpose of
testing the accuracy OF the supposition.
Carnivorous animals sere fed with
scraps Of the trichina loaded, and were
killed at various periods afterwards for
the purpose of examination. The re-
suits at FIRST obtained were verified by
successive Iepetitions Of the process,
and at length the whole facts of the
case were disclosed. Briefly stated,
the conclusions arrived q. were that the
trichinm in the encapsnlcd condition, as
they were first seen, were dormlnt, and
Cor the time harmless adults, and that
they might remain in this state Tor an
indeiiHite period. As soon, however,
rs the flesh containing them is swal-
lowed, and the calcareous capsules
are dissolved by the actisn of the
digestive fluids of the stomach, the
contained worms are set at liberty
within the aiimentary canal, where
they speedily deposit myriads of ova.
IA the course of few days these ova
are Matched, and give exit 10 innumer.
able young trichiB@, individually in
significant but collectively formidable.
Each of them is furnished with sharp
extremity by means OF which il can
perforate all the soft tissues of the
body, and the whole brood soon start
upon their travels, their ultimate ob,
iect being TO arrive at muscle, in which
they may become encapsuled, until, by
heing again swallowed, they repeat the
history Of their race. The migrations
Of the worms riddle the walls Of the
alimentsry canal, the muscles and tbf
intervening structures with counties,
tracks OF perforation and the whole
/, process may be described az the innic
ton Of an enormous wound, made up
so to speak of millions of wounds whici
would individually have been unnoticed
It Is this collective wound which pro
duces the symptoms Of trichinosis, sucl
: az high fever, pain in the limbs, loca
swellings Of the eyelids and other parts
In many cases these symptoms termin
ate In death when they are less sever
they begin to abate as soon as tn
worms reach. their goal in the muscl es
where they become encapsnled and d
no further harm. A man who had re
: covered from trichinosis would be il
" the condition first seen by Sir. Jane
, Paget, and would be exposed neithe
to danger nor suffering from his dor
mant guests. The only effect woul
> be to render it possible for him, by SCI
sacrifice, to compass the destruction &
. whole nation Of cannibals. The pi
: is very frequently the subject of trich
= nosis, being liable to swallow the er
capsuled worms in many ways and
> bears the period of migration with con
! paratively little injury, so that It's fes
: often contains tie encapsuled worms j
y great numbers. There appears to b
= only one complete means Of protectio
against the diffusion of tricllinosis, AN
that is furnished by the heat incidents
> p of proper cookery The encapsule
parasites cannot survive certain e.,
) vation of temperature and death rel
: ders them harmless. Fresh pork {
fresh meat of any kind, however loa'
ed with them, would be perfectly sal
article of food after thorough roastin
If or boiling In the case of salt mea
d however, the security thus obtained
70 less complete, because the hardening {
h the salted tissue places a difficulty i
e the way of the penetration of heat int
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