The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-22
RAW PORK DANGEROUS
Disease May Be Contracted by
Eating the Flesh of Hogs, in
Any Form, Not Thoroughly
Cooked.

There is always the possibility that
illness may follow the eating of pork
that is raw or not thoroughly cooked
The danger is greatest at this season
Of the year when many people pre-
pare for home consumption various
food products that are customarily
eaten without cooking. More of these
homemade products are prepared at
lhog-killing time on the farm than at
any other time.
American people as a rule prefer
cooked pork, but there are many who.
perhaps unknowingly, consume pork
/ in an uncooked condition. either in
the form of raw ham or uncooked sau-
sages. In many localities consider
able amounts of these products are
made up and consumed at home, or
distributed throughout the neighbor-
hood. Large quantities of pork pro-
ducts intended to be eaten raw are al
so prepared commercially.
why Raw Pork Causes Illness.
| The disease known as Ntrichinosis
which may result from eating raw
pork, is caused by certaina round
worms, called trichinae. These are
| microscopic in size and infest the flesh
of hogs The prevalence of trichinae
in hogs is indicated by the fact that
during nine years, 1898-1906, when
the carcasses Of hogs were inspected
rnicroscopfca11y by Federal inspectors,
| of 100000 carcasses so inspected,
1.41, per cent. contained living. trfchi-
nae and 1.16 per cent. contained tri-
chinae-like bodies or disintegrat ing
trichinae In other words and in
round numbers, trichinae were pres
ent in i out. of IL hogs, and if the
presence of dead trichinae and tri-
ichina-like bodies is included in 1 out
| of every SO hogs.
Unlike many other. infectious dis
eases. the severity of an attack of tri-
chinosis depends upon the number of
/ parasites swallowed. Large quaint
ties of slightly infested pork must be
eaten in order to produce appreciable
erects If severe illness follows the
eating of a small amount Of the meat,
| the pork must have been heavily in
tested.
Sources of Infection.
In about 1900 American. cases of
| trichinosis the most frequent sources
of infection reported were row sau-
sage, 225 cases; raw ham. 213; raw
| pork, (kind of product not specified),
/ 185. The most serious outbreak of
! trichinosis in the United States in the
number of. persons affected was that
/ of November and December, 1911, in
California. in which So cases, with 1
death, resulted from summer sausage
made by a farmer and peddled by him
in the neighborhood.
Another outbreak occurred in Wis
consin about a year ago in which, FL
cases, resulting in deaths, developed
| in FIVE families. Early in December
a hog which had been on the farm of
the first family for three years was
slaughtered and part of the meat
made into sausage. The next day
some of the sausage was fried slightly
and eaten. Two of the members of
this family died. There were eight
cases in three other families which
procured some of the sausage imme-
diately after it was pre- pared and ate
it raw or imperfectly cooked.
How to Avoid Trichinosis.
| To avoid trichinosis, no form of
pork in the raw state, including dried
or smoked sausages and hams, should
be eaten. All pork used food
/ should be cooked thoroughly. If this
| Is done the value or wholesomeness Of
the meat for food purposes is not inn
paired by the fact that the parasites