TRICHINIASIS OF MAN AND. ANIMALS. 27 



in Germany with regard to our pork, and also how well posted 

 even specialists are with reference to the true conditions in this 

 country. 



Bollinger* (pathologist of the Veterinary School at Munich), 

 writing: on the " Trichinae in American Pork," in a review of an 

 article by Roeper on the same subject, says : " The author of the 

 paper ' Die Trichinen der americanischen Schinken ' has made 

 numerous examinations in order to contradict the opinion held in 

 America " (by whom I) " that the trichinae of American pork are 

 an entirely different species from those found in the swine of Ger- 

 many, and are harmless. Also to contradict the opinion that the 

 peculiar process which 'American sugar-cured hams' are passed 

 through, is sufficient to render the parasites harmless." 



He found both these assertions without foundation. The curing 

 process does not in all cases kill the trichinae in the deeper seated 

 parts of the ham. 



The following absolutely erroneous explanation is given for the 

 greater proportion of trichiniasis in our hogs in comparison with 

 those of Germany : 



" The swine that are brought to the large American slaughter- 

 houses are allowed to feed upon the refuse from slaughtered swine, 

 and in this %cay have time and opportunity to infect themselves. 

 Such infected swine are themselves slaughtered, and again give cause 

 to infection of those that remain, which may have arrived later. 

 Accordingly, this evil must go on constantly extending, and all per- 

 sons must earnestly be warned against the consumption of rav3 

 American pork." 



This German author certainly betrays ignorance of the true 

 conditions at any large American packing-house. The refuse from 

 the slaughtered swine is never fed to other swine that may be at 

 such places, at any large packing-house in this country. It is sold 

 for fertilizing purposes, or prepared for that purpose, and that 

 only. 



According to the best German authorities, it takes from five to 

 seven clays for the newly introduced trichinae to bring forth young. 

 No large American packing-house keeps a lot of swine on hand for 

 from five to seven days, for they are killed as soon after arrival as 

 possible. It would be impossible for them to kill from one to three 

 thousand a day and do otherwise. While these assertions are abso- 

 lutely false with reference to the large packing-houses, they are as 

 strictly true, not only of many smaller establishments, where hogs 

 * " Deutsche Zeitschrift f. Thiermedicin," vol. i, p. 220. 



