FOODS AND PUBLIC HEALTH 15 



During the early stage of the disease, while the larvae are growing to 

 mature worms, and until the new larvae are deposited in the intestinal 

 wall, the patient may have symptoms that could be attributed to Salmonel- 

 la or Staphylococcus food poisoning. This stage may last up to eight 

 or nine days, and is termed the first period of the disease. The second 

 period is the stage of invasion of the muscles. All over the body the 

 muscles become sore and tender, and especially in the arms and legs. 

 The symptoms could be attributed to muscular rheumatism or rheumatic 

 fever. Pulmonary symptoms sometimes occur and detract attention 

 from the real disease. The last period is that in which the larvae are 

 being surrounded by their capsules, and recover}^ follows the completion 

 of this process. The patient usually has fever and rapid pulse during 

 most of the course of the disease. An attack usually lasts five or six 

 weeks. The death rate from trichinosis, for the years 1926-1936, was a 

 little over 4 percent, whereas it was over 15 percent 50 or 60 years earlier. 

 It is not known whether this decrease may be attributed to recent attacks 

 being milder, or to the fact that, in former years, only severe attacks 

 were recognized and reported. The disease is not particularly dangerous, 

 but it is important because it disables its victims for such a long time. 



A report published recently (26) on the prevalence of trichinosis in 

 the LTnited States shows that between 5,000 and 6,003 cases have been 

 reported since 1842. A number of postmortem examinations in different 

 parts of the United States showed that 12.34 percent of the persons whose 

 bodies were examined had had the disease at some time during their 

 lives. If that ratio were applied to the present living population of the 

 United States, there would be over 16,000,000 people in the country who 

 had been infected at some time. 



The prevention of trichinosis is a simple matter. The disease comes 

 from pork, and thorough cooking of the meat will kill the parasites. If 

 everyone would be careful to eat only well-cooked pork, there probably 

 would be no more cases of human trichinosis. 



The aim, in preparing this bulletin, has been to present fundamental 

 information about food-borne diseases in a manner comprehensive, yet 

 simple. This information is not often readily available to the general 

 public because it is usuallj^ found in books and scientific journals that 

 are available only in libraries maintained for the use of professional men 

 in the fields of public health and medicine. Only those food-borne dis- 

 eases have been discussed that are important in the every-day life of the 

 average community. Diseases that occur only rarely, or not at all in our 

 country, are not included. 



All of us eat, and we all want to avoid diseases when we can. We 

 should be able to achieve that aim in large measure if we take proper 

 care along the lines recommended by authorities and set down in this 

 bulletin. One last word may be added: Cheapness and economy do not 

 necessarily go hand in hand. That is true of all things we buy, and cer- 

 tainly it is true of foods. The merchant who offers quality goods for sale 

 has to pay more for such goods, and the buyer must expect to pay more 

 in consequence; but in many instances, it is possible in that way to pur- 

 chase a substantial measure of health protection at the same time. That 

 surely is a good investment and good economy. 



