Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-09-08
TRICHINE IN SALTED NEAT.
Saiting No Sure Protection Against
the Parasitic

Sailing No Sure Protection Against
the Parasitic.
Ever since the discovery of trichin9
IN pork, the question has been often
asked As to how the small worms could
be completely destroyed. A French
savant, Nj. Colin, some time a,o de-
clared that the sailing of meat was n
sure and certain method of destruction
to these parasites. This, however. was
different to the opinions often express
ed by German investigators, and also
to the fact that several cases of trichi-
nioSis, believed to have resulted from
the eating of American hams that had
long been Salted, had been reported.
Among other chemists, Schmitt, Cha
TIM. Glrard, and Pahst, and DeBenecLe
and Ll5on, msv be mentioned as OBJ
: servers who had found the trichina still
living IN meats that had been salted for
several months. The experiments Of
Nj. Colin led to others bv NJ. Fourment
the results of which have Just been
published as a report to the French
academy.
These experiments show conclusiyely
that the Saltlng of meats cannot be re-
gsrded as a safeguard against trichino-
Sis. Mr.. Fcurment took q piece Of
meat on the 10th Of April, 1881, from
some American salted meats examined
at the Havre docks, and found it in
tested. This meat was placed in
flask and imhe3ded in fine salt. 1t was
then Theoretically sealed and not
opened till the 1St Of April, 1882.
By this time the meat had under
gone a years sailing carried to the
highest degree, and if we add the
time that must have elapsed since il
was first put III salt in America (which
could not be put at less than three
monthsl, the meat may be said to have
been i'll salt for At least fifteen months.
The moat WAS then cut mp in small
pieces, and these were placed in water.
which was frequently changed to re-
move the salt, and remained for several
hours IN temperature of II degrees
Fahrenheit. On the 4th, 9th, and 9th of
April this was fed TO amouse. which
died on the 1th, after presenting symp-
toms of diarrhea. The intestine was
evidently intisned, and contained
sexually developed trichin@. A second
and third mouse were fed with more
of the meat, and with exactly similar
results in each case. Several other ex-
perlments were made NJ. Four
ment says that all show that
the trichina were then certainly
alive and capable Of reproduc-
ton, after fifteen months Of
sailing; and it is consequently manifest
that sailing does not surely and rapidly
destroy these parasites. They may die
i'll salted meats rs well as in any other
situation, and thus explain the negative
experiments published by distinguished
observers; but they nay also live
considerable timeHith out our being
able TO determine the length of the
period after which death necessarily
follows latent life. 1t is also proper TO
point out that, while sailing is too often
powerless TO kill the trichiu;c one effect
Is to remove them to certain extent
from the action of heat. This fact Is
plainly shown by the experiments of
Doyere Lrhorda.
Il may be useful to point ont here
that, although several psychologists
have found that sailing does not destroy
the trichlnI, i'll several sets of expcri-
ments they We're found TO be killed.
Iundel, Louis, Rechlinhausen, kopp,
Seigmand, and Dele all made numer.
ous experiments, and III none was ii
found that, after treating with salt. the
tricnin@ were capable of development
and reproduction. 1t is very probable
that the solution Of these aisagrsena ents
is to bc found in the life history OF the
trichinm, Ii may be pointed out that
when the trichin9 penetrates the mus
cles they are perfectly free, and have
no covering whatever TO protect them,
and month or more elapses before
they accept the situation and coil them
selves up, to quietly await their chance
of being eaten up by some other ami
mai, which must occur before they can
possibly develop into the perfect adult
condition. But 1t is only ut the end Of
three months that II fibrCus cyst begins
to form around them. and il il, per
haps, year before the covering is suf-
tclently dense and impermcahle 10 en-
urcly protect it from the action of salt
Thus it is seen that nj one stage in the
life of the trichinn salt may ctlectually
destroy them, while at another stage it
would be almost powerless to act
But, although sailing is thus an un-
certain remedy, there need be no dan
ger whatever from trichonOsis If only
the meat ne properly cooked. In no
single case-and there have been nu-
merous experiments made-has heat
failed to destroy these parasites Fjord,
in Sweden, and krabbe, in Germany,
have both proved that temperature
of 129 degrees Fahrenhit kills trichrp
if maintained for fifteen minutes, while
15S degrees Fahrenheit has been shown
by many experiments to XIII instanta-
neously. Only those who neglected the
precaution of thorough cooking
lutely necessary in The case Of all pig
meat and sausages-ne be under any
fear Of these parasites-London Tin,e3.