THE PRACTICAL ENTOMOLOGIST. 



63 



disease known as Trichiniasis almost exclusively 

 prevails, only one hog in about ten thousand are so 

 affected. 



2nd. When Trichinous meat is eaten raw, the 

 hard shell of the Trichina is dissolved by the juices 

 of the stomach, the worm becomes free, passes into 

 the intestines, generates there male and female to- 

 gether in the usual manner, and the female subse- 

 quently produces a very large number of young 

 ones. A few of these young ones are expelled with 

 the fseces, but the great bulk of them eat their way 

 through the intestines into the muscles, and after 

 producing there considerable pain, greater or less 

 according to their number, finally become enveloped 

 in the same hard shell as in the hog, in which state 

 they may remain alive for dozens of years without 

 causing any further inconvenience. If the number 

 of Trichinae, is very large, death quickly ensues; if 

 moderate, only pains and prostration; if small, no 

 very material inconvenience. Under no circum- 

 stances does the worm ever breed in the muscles. 



3rd. Hogs that eat the faeces expelled from a 

 human being or any other animal suffering from 

 Trichiniasis in its early stages, become infected by 

 the disease by the young worms contained therein, 

 or they may become infected by eating the flesh of 

 any animal suffering from Trichiniasis in its later 

 stages. Cats suffer from this disease, and probably 

 dogs also. 



4th. It is a ludicrous absurdity to contend, as does 

 the Editor of the Chicago Rcpuhlican, that Tri- 

 chin?e exist in the human body irrespective of any 

 consumption of raw Trichinous pork. Scientifi- 

 cally the entire history of this animal is nearly as 

 well known as that of the Cow or the Horse. He 

 might as well contend that lice could breed in a 

 boy's head without the intervention of some primor- 

 dial mother-louse to start the breed. 



5th. A heat of 150° Fahrenheit (the boiling 

 point being 212°) kills the Trichina effectually. 

 Hence there is no danger whatever in eating Tri- 

 chinous pork that has been thoroughly cooked; but 

 all persons should be particularly careful not to eat 

 smoked sausages under the idea that they are 

 cooked, because it is only a particular kind of 

 smoking that destroys the Trichina. 



6th. In Germany it is a very common practice 

 to eat raw sausage, raw ham and raw pork. In 

 America scarcely anybody does so. Hence we see 

 at once why Trichiniasis in the human subject is 

 very common in Germany and almost unknown in 

 America, although for one hog that is infected in 

 Germany two hundred are infected in America. 



As a comment upon the doctrine of those who, 

 in the teeth of the strongest scientific evidence, 

 deny that Trichiniasis is caused by eating Trichi- 

 nous pork in a raw state, I subjoin the following 

 Report of a Meeting at Berlin in Germany, copied 

 from the London Lancet. I shall only add that I 

 practice what I preach myself, and eat well cooked 

 ham almost every day without fear and with per- 

 fect impunity, and recommend others to do the 

 same. Will the Editor of the Chicago Republican 

 follow out his principles in the same practical man- 



ner, and eat raw ham or raw sausage known to con- 

 tain the Trichina? 



"Professor Virchow addressed the meeting, and urged 

 the necessity of instituting a microscopical examination 

 of all pork. At the conclusion of his speech, he handed 

 to the president a piece of smoked sausage and a piece of 

 meat from a pig, which had been recognized as trichinous. 

 Thereupon a veterinary practitioner, named Urban, rose 

 and combated all that science has acquired during the 

 last five years as an unfounded illusion. ' Trichinae," ho 

 said, 'are the most harmless animals in the world. It is 

 only doctors without practice who make a noise about 

 them, in order to create some occupation for themselves,' 

 &c. (Great interruption.) The president is obliged to 

 stop the veterinarian. Drs. Virchow and Mason demand 

 an apology from M. Urban. Dr. Mason challenges Urban 

 to eat some of the sausage on the president's table. 

 (Great applause.) Urban wishes to explain. The meet- 

 ing calls upon him to eat. ' He had not spoken of Berlin 

 doctors ('Eat, eat!') but of those at Hedersleben. ('Eat!') 

 He would first see whether the sausage contained trichi- 

 nee.' (Great laughter and continued shouts of ' Eat, eat, 

 eat!') Whereupon M. Urban suddenly seizes the sausage 

 on the president's table, bites off a piece, eats it, and 

 leaves the hall forthwith, amid the applause and laugh- 

 ter of the assembly." 



A German newspaper reports that five days later the 

 veterinarian Urban was confined to his bed, and his arms 

 and legs were paralyzed. His illness was caused by tri- 

 chinaa contained in the sausage he had been badgered to 

 swallow; and, as might be expected, the result was fatal. 



Rock Island, III., April 16, 1866. 



B£C£IV£D. 



Besides those publications acknowledged in our 

 last number, we have received the following: — 



A General View of the Agriculture and Industry of 

 THE County of Kennedec, Me., with Notes upon its His- 

 tory and Natural History, by Samuel L. Boardman, Ju- 

 nior Editor of the Maine Farmer. (Part first — Historical 

 and Descriptive.) Augusta, Maine, 1S65. Pamphlet, Svo. 



This volume is very interesting, being devoted to the 

 History and Natural History of the County, and is evi- 

 dently a work of much Labor and research. The second 

 part, soon to be issued, will treat of the Agriculture and 

 Industry of the County, and will contain statistical and 

 other matter of much value, and possessing an interest, 

 not merely local, but of a general character. Persons de- 

 sirous of procuring the work, should address Mr. Board- 

 man, Box 655, Augusta, Maine. 



Sf.xual Physiology — A scientific and popular exposition 

 of the fundamental problems in Sociology, by B. T. Trail, 

 M. D. 1 vol., Svo. Illustrated with SO cuts, and neatly 

 bound. Published by Miller, Wood & Co., No. 15 Laight 

 Street, New York. 



The great interest now being felt in all subjects relating 

 to Human Development will make this book of interest to 

 every one. Besides the information obtained by its pe- 

 rusal, the practical bearing of the various subjects treat- 

 ed in improving and giving a higher direction and value 

 to human life, cannot be over-estimated. The price of 

 the work is $2, and will be sent by mail to any address 

 for that price. 



The American Farmer — A monthly journal of Agricul- 

 ture and Horticulture, published by John Turner, Eoches- 

 ter, N. Y.. at $1 a year. This is certainly a very cheap 

 paper, being well gotten up, in an octavo form of 32 pages, 

 and ably conducted. 



Colman's Rural World — A most excellent aemi-month- 

 ly journal, devoted to the promotion of the Agricultural, 

 Horticultural and Stock interests of the Valley of the 

 Mississippi. Published at St. Louis, Mo., by Norman J. 

 Colman, at $2 a year. 



Southern Cultivator — A practical and scientific news- 

 paper for the plantation, the garden and the family cir- 

 cle. Published monthly at Athens, Ga., by Wm. N. White, 

 at ^Z a year. Tliis is an interesting and attractive jour- 

 nal, containing :J0 pag^s of valuable information. 



