TRICHINIASIS OF MAN AND ANIMALS. 37 



Dr. Herr, of Dubuque, Iowa, reports fifteen cases and five deaths 

 from eating raw smoked ham made into sausages. 



Several cases are reported for Philadelphia in the " American 

 Journal of Sciences." 



In January, 1881, a case occurred at BlackwelPs Island, New 

 York. Two cases were reported at Chicago during the same month, 

 and two at Milwaukee. 



Dr. Germer, health-officer at Erie, Pennsylvania, reports by letter 

 of January 27, 18S1, that the preceding Christmas he discovered 

 seven cases in a place eight miles distant, which were traced to the 

 eating of home fed and cured pork. 



The most interesting American case is one that occurred at 

 Brooklyn, Long Island, September, 1879. Seven of a family were 

 affected, and two persons died from the disease. This case came to 

 trial at Brooklyn, the family suing a packing-house from which 

 they had bought a portion of a ham two days previous to the erup- 

 tion of the disease. As they had been continually in the habit of 

 eating raw ham and sausages, and as they had purchased the ham 

 only two days previous to the first appearance of illness, it was self- 

 evident that the plaintiffs did not have any case, especially as no 

 microscopic examination of the ham had taken place. Further, it 

 does not seem as if retailers of pork can be held responsible for its 

 containing trichinae in a country where neither the law nor the com- 

 munity recognize any such disease of the hog. Even our boards 

 of health simply recognize the existence of trichinae in pork as a 

 scientific fact. All the hogs, specimens from which I examined, 

 were cut up and sold, even though the Massachusetts Board of 

 Health knew that I was continually finding them trichinous. Until 

 the public becomes alive to its own interests, we may be sure that 

 no steps toward prevention will be taken by the State. 



A German judge has ruled differently. A provision-dealer at 

 Berlin was declared " guilty " for selling trichinous pork, which had 

 not been subjected to microscopic examination, but which had 

 caused disease among a number of persons, some of whom died. 

 The judge ruled that such a decision was justifiable, even though 

 the microscopic examination of pork was not then made imperative 

 by law. The objection that the seller had no knowledge of its in- 

 jurious character was ruled out. 



Dr. Sutton,* of Aurora, Indiana, reports nine cases of trichiniasis 

 with three deaths from the consumption of uncooked sausage. The 

 meat of the same was found to be trichinous. A cubic inch of the 



*" Lancet," vol. ii, 18*75. 



