Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 December 1878 — TRICHINOUS PORK. [ARTICLE]

TRICHINOUS PORK.

An Exhaustive Scientific Document on the Subject of Trichinae—Tlie Danger from These Parasites, Ho tv to Detect Them, anti What Precautions Should Be Observed. [From the Chicago Tribune.] Commissioner De Wolf, of the City Health Department, some time ago sent a communication to H. F. Atwood, Vice President of the State Microscopical Society, and Dr. Belfield, Demonstrator of Physiology at Rush Medical College, concerning the existence of trichina; in pork, and received* he annexed interesting report: In compliance with your request we have made a series of careful examinations of pork with reference to trichinte, and have the honor to submit the following report: The samples have been brought to us each day. Specimens of pork have been procured from each of the packing and slaughtering establishments in the city and at the Stock Yards. In accordance with our instructions we took from each hog two pieces, one from the tenderloin (psoas muscle), the other from the ham. We have examined each evening samples from two and sometimes three animals; from the 100 hogs we examined 1,927 sections, or nearly twenty from each hog. Eight of the 100 hogs were infected, the ninth, twenty-fifth, fifty-third, fifty-fourth, sixty-third, seventy-sixth and ninetieth hogs containing trichina 1 . Some were badly infected, while in others comparatively few parasites were found. In all cases the hams were apparently free from trichinae, those we found being always contained in tho psoas muscle. In tho twenty-ninth hog we found the smallest number, there being not more than thirty-five to the cubic inch, while the specimen from the ninetieth hog contained, by a careful estimate, not less than 13,000 in the same bulk. In reply to yeur question as to whether trichinous hogs are generally out of health, we would say that nothing in our observation or study would prompt us to answer in the affirmative. It is the normal condition •an animal to harbor one or more varieti of parasites. Mr. Van Beueden states in his work on “ Animal Parasites and Messmates,” speaking of parasites-in general: “They are not more abundant in delicate individuals than in those who enjoy the most robust health. On the contrary, all wild animals harbor their parasitical worms, and tho greater part of them have not lived long in captivity before nematode and ccstode worms completely disappear: 1 ” Moreover, to satisfy ourselves and to demonstrate other facts, we commenced at an early stage in our work to feed trichinous pork to a white rat, then three weeks old. Ho received a liberal supply of this pabulum from every sample tnat wo found infected. Tlio animal grew rapidly, and always enjoyed the best of health, his excellent condition being a subject of remark by visitors at the laboratory. On Nov. 17 we killed tho animal, whose muscles were found to be literally alive with trichina;, from ten to thirteen appearing in ovory field. Every muscle was infected, from the tip of liis nose to the end of his tail. This, wo think, answers your question in tlie negative. You ask, “ Are there any practical means by which our meat inspectors can detect the parasite in a carcass of meat?” We would reply that the microscope is the only inf allible moans. To the unaided eye the infected meat presents no peculiar appearances, unless the parasites be present in excessive numbers. Tlie German Government has, for some years, made a microscopic examination of pork a necessary preliminary to its exposure for sale. Tlie parasite is not destroyed by thorough salting and smoking, as is shown by the fact that most of the cases of trichinosis in’the Western country are traceable to raw smoked hams. To ascertain whether or not an infected ham could be rendered harmless, we instituted a series of experiments in the physiological laboratory of Rush Medical College. As a result of these we found that in sulphurous acid wo have an agent which not only kills the worms, but readily permeates the entire liam, and is as readily expelled. Owing to the cheapness of this article, the addition of a sufficient quantity of it to the pickle would add but a tritie to the expense of curing. In view of the results of our investigations, several important questions suggest themselves. First, why is the percentage of infected liogs so much greater than it was eight years ago ? At that time a committee of tlio Chicago Academy of Sciences examined a largo number of liogs, and found but 2 per cent infected. We are unable, at present, to offer any satisfactory solution of tins question. Second, why is the percentage of infected liogs so much greater here than in Germany V Engolbreclit states that of 618,2536 hogs examined between October, 186(5, and April, 1873, but seventy were found to contain trichina;. These examinations were made by Government officials in the Duchy of Bruns-, wick. We are unable to explain the greater prevalence of tlie pasasite in America, hut are at present conducting experiments which wo hope may lead to a solution of this problem. The third and practically most important query is this: Since 8 per cent, of our hogs are trichinosis, why are cases of trichinosis so rare ? We would advance these propositions: First, that in most instances the meat is previously subjected to thorough cooking, whereby the worms are killed Second, that in consequence of the close resemblance of tho symptoms of trichinous to those induced by other causes, notably typhoid fever, is it not improbable that insome instances it has been mistaken for other complaints? Third, that the ingestion of a certain number of living trichina; is followed by no unpleasant effects. In proof of this we adduce the case of the white rat above described, whose carcass, weighing when dressed one ounce, contained not less than 100,000 worms. Moreover, in cases where an entire family has partaken of trichinous pork ; while some members have experienced serious, perhaps even fatal illness, others have escaped with little or no indisposition. So firm was our confidence in the harmlessness of a few trichinae that one of us (Dr. Belfield) ate, on Nov. 30, a portion of tho rat referred to, which was demonstrated under the microscope to contain twelve living trichina;. At this date no unusual symptoms have resulted from his Oriental diet. That the prevalence of trichinae in the human family is more extensive than is generally supposed, is proven by the researches of Turner, Wagner, Yirchow and others, as stated by Ziemssen. These observers found that from 2 to 3 per cent, of bodies in which there was no suspicion of the presence of tlie parasites contained trichinae. This, too, was in Europe, where the worm is of less frequent occurrence than in this country. Indeed, there seems to he no limit to the number of trichinae that a man may sustain with impunity; for in numerous instances the bodies or patients never suspected L" Cf o«4Vn»*/w1 #mnrv» 4nirtl\in/\oia IlflTO llppij found, post mortem, to contain enormous numbers of these worms. Doubtless in these cases tricliinsß were ingested at several different Eeriods only a comparatively small number aving been swallowed on any single occasion. In concluding our report, it may not be amiss to emphasize the necessity of thorough cooking of pork as a preparation for tlie table, since the parasite is killed at a temperature far below that of boiling water.

H. F. ATWOOD, WM. T. BELFIELD,

M. D.