124 STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. [Jan. 



But there is another reason why it is impoi*tant to show 

 the significance of what appear to be cases of feeble infec- 

 tion. I wish to know whether it is probable that the 

 infection in these mild cases has been due to the adventitious 

 importation of young trichinae previously voided with the 

 faeces of infected animals living in the same pen. One 

 might naturally infer that all such mild cases came about 

 simply by being associated with animals that were infected, 

 and that it by no means implied the consumption of trichinous 

 meat on the part of the mildly affected hog. But I believe 

 that there is very little ground in support of such a theory, 

 and that probably all, or at least very nearly all, the cases 

 reported here imply the consumption of uncooked trichinous 

 meat on the part of the infected animal. 



It may be assumed that the weight of the lean meat of 

 an average sized hog is 50 pounds,* or 350,000 grains. 

 Since in each grain of flesh examined there was found at 

 least one trichina, the mildest cases recorded would contain 

 not less than 350,000 encapsuled worms, if all the muscles 

 of the body were as thoroughly/ infected as are the pillars of 

 the diaphragm. But observations have shown that that is 

 not the case. Billings f has cited the results of the studies 

 of Johow and Maximilian on the distribution of trichinae in 

 the hog, which may be summarized as follows. Specimens 

 were taken from six muscles of each of four hogs. It is to 

 be assumed — though it is not so stated by Billings — that 

 the number of slips taken from each of the muscles was the 

 same, for otherwise the results would have no significance in 

 ascertaining the distribution of the trichinae. The pillars of 

 the diaphragm were considered separately from the other 

 muscles of the diaphragm. The number of trichinae found 

 in each of the muscles is given in a table below (page 125). 

 For the purpose in view, it is only necessary to ascertain the 

 ratio of the worms found in the pillars of the diaphragm to 

 the total number of worms found. This ratio, in the cases 



* Leuckart ("Menschl. Parasiten," Bd. II., p. 532) assumes that the muscles of a 

 person weigh forty pounds, and Huxley ( " El. Lessons in Physiol.," Revised Ed., 

 p. 365) puts the weight of the "muscles and their appurtenances," for a person 

 weighing one hundred and fifty-four pounds, at sixty-three pounds. 



t Supplement first annual report State Board of Health, Lunacy and Charity of 

 Massachusetts, 1879 (pages 27, 28). 



