TRICHINELLA SPIRALIS I DEVELOPMENT 



319 



It is worthy of remark that half of all the positive cases were mental 

 patients which were found to be affected with trichinella to well nigh 

 12 per cent. Trichinosis was not, however, the cause of death in any 

 case. Very frequently the trichinellae were found calcined and dead. 



Conditions are similar in most countries of Europe, where, of 

 course, the number of infected pigs is considerably smaller, but 

 the disease depends less on this than on the way in which the 

 pork is prepared. 



Cases of trichinosis have been known to occur in nearly all 

 the countries of Europe ; further, in Egypt, Algeria, East Africa, 

 Syria, India, Australia, and America. North Germany, more 

 especially the Saxe-Thuring 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 



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

 28 deaths); Hanover, 1864-1865 (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), &c., &c. 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 cases of death (6*04 per cent.) in Germany from 1860 to 1880; that there were 

 6,329 cases and 318 deaths (5-02 per cent.) between 1881-1898 we are well aware. 

 Of these latter, 1881-1898, 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 recognised, as proved by experience 

 at post mortems. 



