36 



Rheumatic Fever, as in one of Zenker's first series, and in Wood's 

 case, which I shall speak of in a moment. Where the Dropsy 

 has been the predominant symptom, the illness has been reckoned 

 as Dropsy after Scarlet Fever, as it was by Dr. Dickinson in the 

 English Epidemic. 



Is it a new disease, you will ask ? I answer, no. As to 

 whether Trichinae accompanied Noah into the ark, I cannot form 

 an opinion. At any rate, two cases have been traced back. to a 

 period anterior to the discovery of the disease. In 1863, Lan- 

 genbeck, in operating on a man, noticed Trichinous cysts in 

 his muscles, and a careful inquiry brought out clearly the history 

 of an epidemic which had occurred in 1845. And in 183,5, 

 Wood, of Bristol, must have come very near to the discovery of 

 the disease, for a case was under his care in the infirmary, which 

 was supposed at the time to be acute Rheumatism, in which, 

 after death, Trichinge were discovered. This, you will observe, 

 was at a period when the first investigations were being made. 



At first, it was supposed, that the disease was necessarily 

 fatal. This, as you may anticipate, was altogether an error, for 

 obviously it would be bad policy on the part of the worm, when it 

 had obtained free quarters, to destroy its host. In fact, the 

 death rate varies very much, sometimes very high, as in the 

 Hedersleben epidemic; 350 cases, with 100 deaths; sometimes 

 very low, as in Magdebourg (1858-62) ; 300 cases, with only two 

 deaths. This difference seems to depend almost entirely on the 

 number of live TrichinaB swallowed. Dr. Belfield thinks that a 

 few may be eaten with impunity, and to back his opinion he 

 deliberately swallowed a dozen. No evil results ensued. This 

 does not seem however, to be altogether a safe proceeding, for at 

 a meeting in Berlin, Professor Virchow brought some specimens 

 of Trichinous sausages. A Veterinarian made some insulting 

 remarks to the Professor, and there were loud cries from the 

 meeting for him to " eat, eat." After some prevarication, he bit 

 a portion from one of the sausages and ran out of the room. 

 A few days afterwards, he was suffering from characteristic 

 symptoms. 



It is of practical importance to consider what animals are 

 likely to be infected. 



As it is entirely a flesh worm, it is beyond all calculation 

 most liable to be found in flesh eating animals, but not quite 



