Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-16


A RECENT DISCOVERY TO THE EFFECT
"A that the trichine Of pork, which caused
the American hog to be so long shut out of
Europe, are derived from rats, has given new
impetus to the pursuit of line of investiga-
ton which of late has been claiming the atten-
ton OF the United States government:
Every one has his little foible, as the gentle
man said when he boiled his grandmother's
head In pipkin, and pig is as fond Of rat
as girl is of plate of ice cream. DR.. Leuck-
art, the great Leipsic professor, who made
the discovery in question, collected those in
teresting rodents from all over Germany. par
ticularly from distilleries, slaughter houses
and sewers. BY dissection it was found that 40
per cent Of them were infected by trichine.
Rate. you see, are cannibals. They ca. their
own offspring and each other, so that in this
way the infection is spread among them.
Whether they ever die of trichiniasis is not
known. although it makes them lame some-
times. but an asccrtained fact is that pigs de-
YOUR them whenever they get a chance. and SO
contract the complaint. Human beings in
their turn eat pigs and thus acquire the trich-
iGse with frequent fatal results. The disease is
reckoned the most deadly known. Among the
many animals attacked by it are cats, dogs.
horses, bears and rabbits, though how they get
the parasites is uncertain.
INVESTIGATING ANIMAL PARASITES
The Department o. Agriculture is at presen.
giving earnest attention to the study OF animal
parasites, with view to finding out methods
for fighting against some of them which cause
loss OF many millions OF dollars yearly to
farmers. 1t has recently made a big discovery
of its own in relation to the fatal disease of
cattle called Texas fever, which turns out to be
caused by minute animal called "pro:o-
zoon." This little creature feeds upon the red
corpuscles in the blood and destroys them. Re-
cent developments CT knowledge reveal the
protozoa as producers of morbid complaints in
almost as unfavorable light as has been shed
upon the bacteria 1t has been ascertained
that the cause of malaria is protozoon which
feeds upon the blood corpuscles, and another
microscopic foe of like description is response
BILE for certain forms of dysentery. Undoubt-
edly many disorders not now understood will
eventually be referred to similar origin.
1t was formerly supposed that the parasites
found living within the bodies of human be-
ings and other animals came into existence by
spontaneous generation. For example, the no.
ton held that a tapeworm was formed bv scrap
OF intestine which go. broken off and took to
growing. Similarly the worms of various kinds
sometimes discovered In the muscles and even
in the brain, were accounted for. They were
not believed to be harmful, but were looked
upon as merely geological curiosities. How
ever, it was noticed quite anciently that people
who ate pork which contained certain small
cysts became sick, and this was one reason why
the Hebrews declared it unfit for food.
ORIGIN OF TRICHINIAsIs
About the year 1885 a great discovery was
made. medical student in London found a
number of little cysts in the muscles of a hu-
man being. each of which contained q minute
worm. The parasite described by Prof
Richard Owen. under the name of ''trichina
spiralis," and he expressed the opinion that it
was harmless. But not long afterward an epi-
demic of what is now known as trichinlasis
occurred, and it was found that all of the VIC
Tins had eaten pork which proved to contain
cysts with worms in them. At last the secret
OF this dreadful complaint. which had so long
been regarded an insoluble mystery, was out
and the result was OF vast benefit, because sci
ence was set to work at hunting among other
diseases to see whether they were caused by
parasites. Hence originally came the first
knowledge of the ill-doings of certain bacteria.
After several epidemics of trichiniasis had
occurred several nations of Europe, and par
tlcularlv Germany, came to the conclusion that
all meats should be inspected. In Germany
today no meat of any kind is sold which has not
been subjected to official examination. few
years ago there was an epidemic in that country,
which was traced to American pork. No mis-
take could exist. because the parasites were
found in the pork, from Chicago which the
that the Yankee hog should be excluded Since
the Agricultural Department has begun to in
spect the pork intended for export from this
country the objection has been withdrawn.
Owing to the commercial importance of the
American hog this government has taken
especial interest in tue rrichina spiralis. There
is much that is surprising to be told respect
ing 1t. About three days after infected pork
Aas been eaten and diges.ed the little worms
become free in the intestines and proceed to
lna.. haa, IL L., 4
female gives birth to from $50 TO $4,000 young
The latter, as soon as they are Matched out
crawl through the walls of the intestines and
get inside of the fibers which compose the
muscles, where they feed upon the contrac tile
substance. They may find lOdgment in any
muscle in the body, but they chiefly attack
those OF breathing and swallowing. Thus
the patient dies of suffocation. If only
a hundred or so OF the creatures have
been t.sken into the system the person is likely
to recover but a single bite of thoroughly in
fected meat will contain Il sufficient number OF
the parasites to prove fatal. Medical treatment
is of hardly any avail, the physicians efforts
being limited to sustaining the vitality with
stimulants until the crisis shall have passed
This time arrives when the trichina have
ceased feeding and are inclosing themselves in
cysts with a view to permanent residence
After that they can do no more harm. unless the
individual should BE- himself eaten by canni-
bal, in which case the latter would be apt to
contract the complaint
THE DREADED HEEL FLY.
Another parasite which the Department Of
Agriculture is trying to discover means for
combating causes a loss of nearly 80, 500, GOO
year to cattle slaughtered at Chicago alone.
1t is the dreaded 'heel fly" which lays its eggs
On the backs of the animals, the worms Matched
from them boring through the skin and re-
manning buried for several months in the flesh.
Finally they emerge. fall to the ground, go
through the chrysalis condition and come out
as perfect flies. all ready to lay their eggs on
the backs Of other cattle. this being their only
market is found to have more than five holes in
second quality and sells for cent less pound in
gross. Hence the enormous damage referred
to. So fearful are the cattle of this horrible
bug that single heel fly will often stampede
an entire herd.
There is another extraordinary insect known
in the west the ''gad fly" which attacks
horses, laying its eggs on the animals. The
horse ticks itself, and thus conveys the Larvae
Matched from the eggs to its stomach, where
they grow, clinging to the stomach walls.
Very often they bore through the stomach aud
kill the horse. When ready to do SO they pass
ground and go into the chrysalis state. In due
for other horses to lay their eggs upon. The
motion of a winged insect that is only able to
perpetuate its species by going through the
body of a horse seems very weird indeed.
Not less remarkable in its way is q parasitic
worm known "a the silver finke /" which ef.