The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-04-28
THE NEGRO AND THE HOG.
The Hon. ID. Wyatt Aiken Hits the
Nail Squarely on the IIend..-Some
ShOnII RooI

CokEsBrEy, S. c., April 2G. 1856.
Editor Press und Bnmne,.:
The following extract speaks Tor l1scH:
willis Price, colored. of Lebanon, aged 10
years, died on last Sunday, after ten months
of sickness. He was afflicted in peculiar
way. He had sore Oh the tnstcp OF ms loot
about ten months ago. The sore was poul-
ticed The outer skin peeled Off, and 1t Is al
legged that an innumerahle number of worms
shot their heads out at the surface. AhritSionS
OF the skin We're afterwards Inaue IN other
places when the worms appeared as before.
His flesh seemed to be full of very small
worms. As far as we arc Informed. he made
no effort to get medical aid until the day be-
fore he died. y physician was TO go 10 see
the disease is that which is impaired to the
human system by eating diseased raw bacon,
but the doctors do not believe this, though
they did not see the paticnt.'-lTess and
Banner.
I'wish to say a few words upon this subject
which possibly may be q profitable lesson to
your readers, and our people generally.
Five years ago few French and German Ia
horerS lost their lives by eating diseased mea t..
At once an investigation was ordered which
resulted in Il report, that this meat was I'm
ported from America, that 1t was infected
with trichnae, and that it was fatal to the
consumer whether man or beast; and there.
fore Il prohibitory tariff was Immediately lev
led by the French and German governments
upon all sal: meats imported from America.
This branch Of our commerce amounts to no
little proportion of our entire expectations,
for we Shipnnnually millions of dollars worth
of bacon and hams to the large cities OF Eu-
rope.
pean houses to shippers in this country at one
time for Il million pounds Of hams, and q mil
lion pounds Of d. G. r. S. sides. SO you can
we'll understand that this French and Ger
man embargo excited the "powers that be- IN
this country.
Mr.. Arthur through his Secretary of State
ordered IN Investigation of this matter
through our Foreign Consuls but never saw
u reported result OF the Investigation. SubSe.
quently the Treasury Department. ordered
our custom offices to examine all the meats
that were shipped abroad, and report whether
or not any of 1t was infected. This also proved
to be futile because impracticabIe. Again the
Secretary of the Treasury ordered an inveSti.
CATION through his statistical bureau, which
resulted merely in the publication of report
previously issued by tue agricultural depart
inent. That department. had appointed com,
mittee OF experts to look Into this matter anu
report upon 1t.
Vigilaut MS Americans usually are this COM
mittec determined to see whether or not these
German laborers. who lost their lives from
eating diseased meat, had eaten American or
German meat. Their report showed that by
analysis trichinae were found In German and
French bacon, as we'll rs In American meals
The report put a sort of quctus upon the sub
ject of shipping American meats 10 European
ports. ItprOved nevertheless that occasional
shipments of American meats were discover
ed bndly infected with trichinne.
Now the question arises, what Is, or what
are trchinae? TO state it plainly, they are
small animaculcS invisible to the naked eye
and frequently found by the myrinds In the
flesh of hogs. They are indi$truStable by cold
or salt. but will be destroyed by hent brought
to the boiling point of wafer. If consumed by
man in u piece OF meat, which has not been
heated sufficiently to destroy them, they per-
fOraie the consumers stomach. intuSe them
selves into his flesh, place him beyond the
control of medicine, and very certainly de.
stroy his life.
Now it is very easy to imagine the negro. or
almost any lahoring mar. in his care'cSS
method Of preparing his food. frying or even
boiling a piece Of this infected meat and eat
ing it before the centre Of the meat had been
subjected to boiling heat. and therefore be-
coming a victim Of this terrible death. / dare
say, that nine-tenthS of yOur readers will be-
fore Saturday night breakfast or dine on
north western bacon or hams. Arc they sure
that there are no trichinac in any Of this
meat? Let them beware, for there Is scarcely
II week that the papers do not announce the
death Of one or more members of family in
Onr northwestern States from eating this In.
trcted meat.
The moral would draw from this would he,
that our people should grow their own hog
meat. for beyond a doubt this Infected meat
showed itself in a diseased live hog. \ three
months old essex pig can be grown with less
labor, care and expense than brood OF chick
ems. and contains twice the amount of whole
some, delicious food.
Very respectfully.
D. WYATT AIKEN.