TRICHIXELLA SPIRALIS 429 



especially the Saxe-Thiiringian states, is the classical land for 

 epidemics of trichinosis ; the mortality varies, but it may be 

 very high. 1 



Prophylaxis. The grave nature of the disease and the comparatively high 

 mortality relating to trichinosis led the authorities to adopt certain preventive 

 measures, which are the more necessary as national customs cannot be altered in 

 a short time. As the usual process of pickling and smoking, even when long 

 continued, does not certainly ensure the death of the Trichinellae contained in the 

 meat, and also because in roasting and boiling large pieces of pork a considerable 

 time is necessary to permit the temperature required to kill off the parasites 

 (62 to 70 C.) to penetrate to the middle of the joint, it appeared to be most 

 practical to have all pigs microscopically examined for Trichinellae before they, or 

 parts of them, were placed on the market, and all infected meat condemned, no 

 matter whether the Trichinellae were present in large or small numbers, still 

 undeveloped or calcified. Since 1877 obligatory examination of pork has been 

 introduced in Prussia, though as yet it is not thoroughly carried out ; other states 

 of North Germany as well as the larger towns of South Germany soon followed \ 

 a complete army of trichina inspectors, officially examined and periodically con- 

 trolled by experts, and whose number in Prussia amounted to 27,602 in 1896, 

 this being even increased to 28,224 m J 899, have the charge of examining 

 pork on certain lines laid down. These are at the present time uniformly 

 administered. The proceeding is usually that the trichina inspector himself goes to 

 the slaughterhouses, or special samplers take pieces of the muscles that are known 

 to be the favourite seats of the parasite (pillars of the diaphragm, the costal part of 

 the diaphragm, muscles of the tongue and larynx, intercostal and abdominal muscles) ; 

 six small portions are separated from each piece, pressed between slides or special 

 compressors, and carefully gone through by examining them with a low power of 

 the microscope. The pigs free from Trichinellae are passed for commerce ; trichinous 

 pigs, on the other hand, in Prussia, are only allowed to be used for industrial 

 purposes, i.e., the hide and bristles are used, the fat is allowed to be melted down, 

 or certain parts are used for the manufacture of soap or glue. In Saxony, however, 

 it is still permitted to place trichinous flesh on the market, fully declaring its nature, 

 and after having been heated to its deepest strata at a temperature of 100 C. in a 

 suitable apparatus, and under the supervision of a veterinary surgeon. 



As TO THE PROPORTION OF TRICHINOUS PIGS to healthy ones, the following 

 tables give the figures for Prussia : 



1 For instance, extensive epidemics occurred in Hettstadt in 1863 (160 patients, 28 

 deaths) ; Hanover, 18641865 (more than 300 patients); Hadersleben, 1865 (337 patients, 

 101 deaths) ; Potsdam, 1866 (164 patients) ; Greifswald, 1866 (140 cases, I death) ; 

 Magdeburg, 1866 (240 cases, 16 deaths) ; Halberstadt, 1867 (100 cases, 20 deaths) ; 

 Stassfurt, 1869 (over 100 cases) ; Wernigerode, 1873 (100 cases, I death) ; Chemnitz (194 

 cases, 3 deaths); Linden, 1874 (400 cases, 140 deaths); Niederzwohren, near Cassel, 1877 

 (half the population); Diedenhofen, 1877 (99 cases, 10 deaths); Leipzig, 1877 (134 cases, 

 2 deaths) ; Ernsleben, 1883 (403 cases, 66 deaths) ; Strenz-Neuendorf, 1884 (86 cases, 12 

 deaths), etc. According to Johne, 109 epidemics, with 3,402 cases and 79 deaths, occurred 

 in Saxony between 1860 and 1889. Stiles, in a work recently published, states that there were 

 8,491 cases of trichinosis with 513 deaths (6*04 per cent.) in Germany from 1860 to 1880; 

 and 6,329 cases and 318 deaths (5-02 per cent.) between 1881 1898. Of these latter, 

 18811898, 3,822 (225 deaths) occurred in Prussia, 1,634 (76 deaths) in Saxony, and 873 

 (17 deaths) in the remaining states. There is, however, no doubt that many deaths from 

 trichinosis were not recognized, as proved by experience at post-mortems. 



