NEMATODA 173 



" Incidentally I may remark that in the course of the last 

 twenty years, although millions of parasites and their eggs have 

 passed through my hands, I have almost entirely escaped infec- 

 tion. It is something to know what you are either handling 

 or looking at, because there are many parasites besides Tri- 

 china which are dangerous. There are gregariniform entozoa 

 residing in meat which we eat every day without any bad 

 consequences. They are as harmless as cheese-mites. There 

 is no need to be in the slightest degree nervous about flesh- 

 food, provided it is properly cooked. I believe there will be 

 no fatal issue in the case of any of the three individuals just 

 alluded to, but the chief practical point before us arises out of 

 the fact that we have here, for the first time in England, an 

 epidemic of trichiniasis. By calling attention to the subject, it 

 will, to say the least, suggest precautions by which future 

 epidemics may be avoided." 



The above remarks form the substance of a lecture given 

 on the 24th of April, 1871. A week later I delivered the third 

 of the Cantor lectures for that year, when I took occasion to 

 add the following particulars : 



" It has been asked whether the so-called muscle-Trichinae, 

 after they have arrived at their destination within the flesh of 

 man, are capable of producing any more unfavorable con- 

 sequences ? The answer is, Certainly not. In the case of man 

 it would be necessary that his muscles should be eaten in 

 order for the Trichinae to become sexually-mature worms; 

 and in those countries where cannibalism exists, the man- 

 eater would himself become trichinised, and would certainly 

 deserve his fate. I was very desirous to follow up the 

 account of this outbreak by inquiries respecting the particular 

 animal which had been the cause of the outbreak. I may 

 therefore mention that my informant, Dr Dickinson, states 

 that the family, including the man-servant, all fed together, and 

 that they had for upwards of a fortnight eaten daily, and some- 

 times twice a day, sausages made from the flesh of the trichi- 

 nised animal. And he adds : The meat cut from the ham and 

 flitches, and what is called the spare-rib, was roasted before 

 the fire or in the frying-pan. Occasionally it was cooked in 

 the oven. Dr Dickinson ascertained from the mother that she 

 liked her meat to be underdone, and thus, therefore, there is 

 very little doubt that the meat was generally undercooked. 

 The man, a strong labourer, had a good appetite, and would 



