Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-09-02
PORK AS FOOD.
The Two Parasitic Evils Developed In the
Tissues of Hogs.

The Two Parasitic Evils Developed In the
Tissues of Hogs.
The prejudice against the flesh of
swine as human food is as old as his
tory. If it has any foundation in nat
ure besides the filthy manner in which
the hog is generally kept, it is because
the hog is more subject to disease, or
at least to a certain class of diseases,
than other domestic animals. Its ON
niverOus appetite makes it liable to
certain diseases from which the exclu-
sively vegetable-eating animals are
comparatively. if not entirely, exempt.
The two evils most complained of
are tape-worm and trichina-both par
asitic. Both of these are developed in
the animal tissues, and it is very
doubtful if they ever afflict animals
that do not eat animal food, or in some
way get animal products into their
stOmachs and intestinal canals.
The tape-worm, when encysted in
the tissues of the hog, has the name of
measles-though wholly unlike measles
in the human species--the pork con-
tanning these encysted worms is known
as ''measly pork" When taken into
the human stomach, they are liable
to develop there in the form of the
loathsome creature known as tape
worm. This is not necessarily fatal,
but very annoying. IN modern times,
it is successfully removed by the skill
full physician without pain or injury to
the patient.
Trichina is parasite much more to
be dreaded even than the tape-worm.
1t is liable to infect the human system
in such numbers as not only to be very
painful, but fatal, and we believe there
is no known remedy. 1t is encysted in
the flesh of the animal, in q dormant
state, like the tape-wOrm. When the
trichina enters the human stomach. it
attaches itself to the mucous men,
brane and there awakens to all the
activity of breeding thousands, if not
millions, of its kind. These young
trichina at once start out to find a
place in which to encyst themselves for
a dormant rest and await a resurrec-
ton by having the flesh in which thew
are imbedded eaten by some animal,
brute or human, when they will repeat
the role of their progenitors.
1t is when passing from the stomach
and intestines to the muscles that the
trichina give such pain, and frequently
cause death. Pushing their way
through the tissues, they cause great
irritation and Inflammation, resulting
in death when the effects become unen-
durable. While in this active state of
seeking home, they are as
liable to be found in one class of tissues
as in another. Hence, lard that has
not been exposed to heat of at least
zl2 degrees Fahrenheit, is just as likely
to contain them, if the animal was
killed when the trichina were in state
OF activity, as in any other part or
product of the hog.
The only way to avoid the evil and
suffering from tape-worms and trichina
is to either wholly abstain from EATING
pork. or to be sure that it is thoroughly
cooked, SO as to destroy the vitality of
The encysted parasite. The muscle of
the hog makes exceedingly palatable
[ood. and many enjoy eating the fat
In spite of all the terrors and draw
backs, pork is a common and ponnlar
article Of food. So long as animal
desh continues to be eaten by man we
pork will be eaten. As there
s no cure for one OF the diseases inn
parted by it, the safety of The public
leaitn demands that hogs be kept in a
;ieaniy manner, fed only vegetable
ood and such animal products as be-
ong 70 the dairy. and that the meat.
u all kinds. as for that matter-shan
e sumciently cooked to DESTROY all am
maj lie. Nothing less than subject
ng every particle of it to heat of at
EAST oiz degrees will do it.--NatioaaJ
acc Stock Journal