2(j 

 "TRICHINO SI«," 



BY 



F. T. TAYLER, Esq., M.B., B.A. 



27th APRIL, 1881. 



It is quite certain that from a very remote period of time, 

 science has known that the bodies of men and animals are liable 

 to be invaded by other organisms ; but it is equally certain .that 

 we owe to the untiring zeal of modern investigators, all the 

 knowledge we possess of the life-history, and almost universal 

 prevalence of these unwelcome visitors. Rymer Jones -nTiting on 

 the subject says, " There are probably no races of animals which 

 are not infested with one or more species of these parasites, 

 from the microscopic Infusorion up to man himself, and 

 sometimes several different forms are met with in the same 

 species to which they would appear to be pecuhar, and even in 

 some cases the Entozoa woidd seem themselves to enclose other 

 species parasitically dwelling in their bodies." 



So, naturalists observe, a flea 

 flas smaller fleas that on him prey ; 

 And these have smaller still to bite 'em ; 

 And so proceed, ad infinitum. 



Owen, -RTiting about thirty-five years ago, says that upwards 

 of fifteen distinct kinds of Entozoa are abeady know u to infest 

 the human body, while Aitken in his last edition gives a list of 

 thirty-seven Entozoa, eight Ectozoa, a dozen Epiphytes and Ento- 

 phytes, besides certain ill determined Algce,, Fungi, &e., and the 

 cry is still they come. 



Dr. Cobbold would have us believe that the poor boy, who 

 died on the " Cornwall " training ship, was the jiroprietor of a 

 brand new Entozoon, and if the latest researches of Pastern- are 

 confirmed, it seems likely that it will be positively dangerous to 

 kiss our own babies, and last of all Drs. Ballard and Klein have 

 introduced to our notice another new pork disease. A few more 

 years and we shall be filled with astonishment that we have not all 

 shared the fate of King Herod of old. 



It is to the labours of men for the most part still Mving, that 

 we are indebted for aU we know about the Trichina Spiralis, 

 which has excited so much interest of late. 



At the present time, we are able to view our subject from a 

 commanding elevation, but the cutting of the path has been slow 



