DISEASES OF SWINE 551 



recently had in their possession two sides of American bacon in which 

 it was claimed evidences of trichinae were found. This meat came in 

 a shipment of twenty-five cases. The report reads: 



Through the medium of a society of German foreign meal im- 

 porters whose object is the protection and promotion of the German 

 trade in meats and fat products, I learn that for the last fifteen years, 

 beginning with the decree of 1883 prohibiting the importation of 

 American meat, and ending with the close of last year, there were 

 officially confirmed in the Kingdom of Prussia 3,003 reported cases of 

 illness from trichinae, 207 of which resulted in death. Of these total 

 numbers, there could be traced to the eating of European meat, ex- 

 amined in Germany and found to be free from trichinae, 1,242 cases 

 of illness and 102 deaths. Thus 41.35 per cent of all the cases of ill- 

 ness and 49.7 per cent of all the deaths were caused by the consump- 

 ?ion of European pork, which was examined in Germany and found 

 to be free from trichinae. The remaining cases could also be traced to 

 importations of European meat, partly examined and partly not ex- 

 amined, and found to contain trichinae, and yet handled by the trade. 



In not one of the above 3,003 cases could it be proved that the 

 illness was caused by the use of American salted, pickled, or tinned 

 meat, nor by smoked sausage (imported under imperial' decree of 

 September 3, 1891). This statement holds good for all Germany. 

 In confirmation of this fact, the society hereinbefore mentioned has 

 issued posters wherein a reward of 1,000 marks ($238) is offered to 

 the person who can prove that trichinae have been transferred to 

 human beings by the consumption of American salted or pickled pork 

 or smoked sausage imported under the imperial decree of September 

 3, 1891, canceling the edict forbidding the importation. 



The inspection of American meats and sausages is much more 

 rigid than the tests for the German home products. The American. 



froduct is twice inspected. Before the meat leaves the United States, 

 am informed that from each hog, as a whole, the inspector selects 

 six samples or pieces, and from these pieces are taken eighteen cuts, 

 to which is applied the miscroscopical test. When this meat reaches 

 Germany it is again cut into eight or ten pieces ; from each of these 

 the inspector selects three samples or pieces, and from each of these 

 samples or pieces three are taken for the microscopical test. This 

 results in the inspection of ninety separate pieces from the American 

 hog, while in the inspection of the German hog only eighteen pieces 

 are tested. By this mode of inspection it can be readilv seen that 

 opportunities of discovering ten cases of trichinae are available in the 

 inspection of an American hog, as against two chances in the case of 

 the German hog. When inspected, the German hog is divided into 

 two pieces only, being severed lengthwise, from the head down the 

 back, thus leaving the head still attached to both of the divided parts 

 of the body. 



As regards the inspection of American sausage, I learn that in 

 this district (Cologne) three pieces are taken for inspection purposes 

 from 2 pounds of imported sausage. Even if no trichinae are discov- 

 ered after this rigid inspection, the sausage is much injured, if not 



