972 PROF. OWEN ON TRICHINA SPIRALIS. {June 20, 
Among the notices of the discovery of the microscopic parasite 
prior to the date of that ‘ Dictionnaire,’ I may limit myself to the 
following :—‘ It was first described, I believe, by Mr. Hilton of 
Guy’s Hospital, and afterwards more fully by Professor Owen in 
855°" 4; 
The translation of that estimable work probably led to an opinion 
common among French practitioners, and which amply justifies the 
definition of “Trichine” given by their great lexicographer. 
Reference to a number of an English weekly periodical for grounds 
of priority could hardly be expected in a foreign country ; and our 
own accomplished physician, burthened with an extensive practice 
and professional duties, may well be excused for taking on trust 
current statements on so minute a matter. 
It may not be unacceptable, or uninstructive to our younger fellow- 
workers with the microscope, to recall the honest devotion of his 
time and means of observation which the alleged discoverer gave to 
the subject of his paper entitled :—‘‘ Notes of a peculiar Appear- 
ance observed in Human Muscle, probably depending upon the for- 
mation of very small Cysticerci,’” by John Hilton, Demonstrator of 
Anatomy at Guy’s Hospital” °. 
After noting that the ‘‘ body for dissection was a male, aged 70,” 
the author proceeds :—‘‘The subject was prepared for injection, 
and subjected to a temperature of about 100° Fahr. On proceeding 
to the dissection, our attention was arrested by a mottled appear- 
ance of the pectoral muscles; and the same phenomenon presented 
itself in all the voluntary and respiratory muscles, to which, however, 
it was confined. The muscles were pale, soft, and not so distinctly 
fibrous as usual ; between the fibres, and having their long axis 
parallel to them, there are situate several oval bodies, transparent 
in the middle and opaque at either end, altogether about 5/5 of an 
inch in length. No organization could be discovered with the aid 
of a microscope. A small portion of the muscle, impregnated with 
them, was inserted under the skin of a rabbit on the back. This 
was done in three cases; but all the animals died within seventy- 
two hours, and without any appearance of the bodies in question 
being revivified.”’ 
Portions of the muscles of the same subject were taken by an 
accomplished physician of the Hospital, Dr. Addison, F.R.S., who, 
in an endeavour to promote some development of the supposed 
Cysticerci, ‘placed a portion of muscle in a glass tightly covered 
with paper, perforated by pin-holes; it was slightly moistened 
occasionally with water.” On referring to it “‘ casually ” some weeks 
after, ‘‘a number of small flies were seen in the glass, apparently 
differing from the common house-fly, and some bodies were observed 
in the muscle, larger than those originally placed in the glass ; from 
some of these an embryo fly was liberated”? *. 
1 Lectures on the Practice of Physic, by (now Sir) Thomas Watson, M.D., 
8vo, 1845, vol. iii. p. 492. 
* London Medical Gazette, February 2, 1833, p. 605. 
* London Medical Gazette, loc. cit. p. 606. 
