Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-01
UNWHOLESOME MEAT.
The Danger of Eating Diseased Beef
and Pork Cncooked and
WHEN INHABITED BY PARASITES,
True Economy Consists in Buying the Best
in the Market.
OF MICROSCOPICAL TESTS
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH.

all human Ills. De tnls as IL may, uotninS
is more certain than that it is the great and
only source of tapeworms. The worm in an
infant condition gets into the stomach with
imperfectly cooked or raw, infested meat,
and in no other way. 1t has been thought
that the fact of the flesh of the hog being
frequent source of human tapeworm was the
reason for the Mosaic law against pork.
Of the three varieties of tapeworm two
are common and the other quite rare
in this country. One of the two
common varieties we get from in
tested pork, the other from infested beef.
The disease of the hog called measles, !"
(Which, however, has no relation with, or
similarity to, human measles is due to the
presence in the muscles of the hog of thous-
ands of what are called by the formidable
name, cysticerci cellulosi. Now this term
might lead the uninitiated to believe that
the things were some sort of dragons, or
perhaps devil fish. Not so, however. A
cysticercus cellulosus is a minute tape
worm Just Matched beyond the egg stage of
its career. 1t is not allowed to SOW any
wild oats until swallowed by something or
other, for it is imbedded in a cyst or nest
which closely confines it until the walls of
the inclosure are dissolved by digestive
juices.
UNwELCoME VISITORS.
Now the question arises here: How does
the animal get into the muscles of the hog,
the steer, etc.? This is not difficult of ex-
PLANTATION. The hog or other animal has
swallowed eggs of the tapeworm, and these
eggs have Matched out in his stomach; then
the newly-hatched cysticerci have migrated
like trichine by boring through the walls
of the stomach and bowels, thence
through all the tissues of the body.
About this time the pig is very sick, but
the cysticercus is enjoying himself i'm
mensely-having circus, as it were. The
pig, however, does not generally die. When
the cysticercus has ceased its meandering
and is ready to settle down it is surrounded
by sac or cyst, hence its name. The par
asite remains indefinitely in this imma-
ture condition. never reaching Its full
growth unless the meat containing it is eat
en- by man or other animal.
With the idea of ascertaining to what ex-
tent meat of the market is infested with
tapeworm, the writer has from time to time,
during the last three years, made in the ag-
gregate 81 microscopical examinations of
beet, in the forms of fresh, dried, corned
and potted beef; and of pork in
the form of ham, sausage, bacon,
pigs feet and fresh pork. The examin-
ations resulted in finding living cysticerci,
or infant tapeworms, present in one sample
of fresh and one of potted beef; and in two
samples of fresh pork. One butcher con-
suited, told the writer that "measly" beef
and pork were not uncommon, as he had to
occasionally reject meat thus affected. He
thought that butchers who bought poor,
scrawny cattle, often run across this condi-
ton.
DANGEROUS MEAT.
In addition to occasionally present tape
worms and trichina, fresh meats are subject
to other conditions of unwholesomeness and
disease. such as putridity and inherent
poisonous qualities. Mere putridity, due
to the growth of the bacteria of decompo-
sition, possibly may not render meat dan
gerous to use. Indeed, it is claimed that
the breaking down of the muscular fiber
by decomposition may be a material
assistance to digestion. Such certainly is the
case with the digestion oil the dog, in whom
it is certain that full meal of rotten flesh
will coat over the ribs with thin layer of
fat; and game is eaten and relished by cpl
cures in partially putrid condition
"high" as it is called. Nevertheless, con-
sidering the tact that if minute quantity
of decomposing flesh be inserted under the
skin of man, OF almost any animal, it will
cause blood poisoning, it Is fair to conclude
that putrid meat cannot be otherwise than
unwholesome for man to eat. With
some animals, as the rat long
continued feeding upon putrescent material
has produced a condition of tolerance for
this kind of poisoning; by continued in
oculation they have arrived at a condition
in relation to the virus of putrid flesh, SIM
liar to the condition of the person who has
had smallpox and consequently does not get
it again. But with man, who is not
Injured to the poison of decomposing ami
NAL tissues, it is certain that eating such
material may, and sometimes does, produce
sickness. Nausea vomiting, diarrhea and
symptoms of typhoid character have been
known to be the result of eating meat in the
early stages of decomposition.
ovER-DRIvEN CATTLE.
Poisonous meat may result from various
conditions. The animal prior to killing
may have been in the earlier stages of
some disease to which its kind is subject; or
its flesh NAV have been rendered poisonous
by something eaten which has not had an
injurious effect upon the animal, vet which
may render its flesh very deleterious to
man. The flesh of over-driven and tor
tured animals has been known to produce
serious symptoms when eaten, and it is certain
that meat prepared from stock slaughtered
Immediately upon liberation from
long trip in the cars cannot be al
togethef what it ought to be. Animals NAV
be affected with consumption, smallpox,
malignant pustule and other contagious
diseases, any of which may be communi-
Gated directly to the person who eats the
flesh of these animals. Indirectly, poison
Gus quality of the animals flesh NAV be
engendered by its having eaten poisonous
plants, or its having had infiammatory dis
eases, especially where the inflammation has
resulted in the formation of matter. Poison
Gus effects have been impaired to meat by
the use of brine which had been used a
number OF times without any intervening
boiling. Sausage has been known to pro.
duce poisonous effects. These are due to
the growth within the sausage of certain
species of funguso or mold.
Fish, especially certain kinds, are
often poisonous. Some species common
ly used for food sometimes develop a
poisonous principle; but often fish poison
ing is due to eating of poisonous kind of
fish, which, from its resemblance to va
riety of food fish, has gotten into the
market among a lot of the latter. 1t is re-
corded that death has followed SO rapidly /
on the eating of species of sprat that the
persons partaking of it have died with the
fish still in their mouths.
POINTS FOR BUTCHERS
Next comes the remedy. First, as to what
the butcher may do. The writer does not.
of course, pretend to teach the butcher his
business, being well aware that this trades
man usually knows diseased and poor cat
tie, and rejects them. But there are two
things often done that are wrong. One is
the killing otanimals too soon after long