52 THE INTERNAL PARASITES OF 



attached to the Indian Sanitary Commissioner on special 

 duty. In a paper communicated to the Linnsean Society, 

 and published in their Proceedings for July 1865, I 

 furnished proofs as to the certainty of a natural cure of 

 the measle-disease within much less than a year. I fixed 

 the period at about eight months ; but it now seems to 

 me by no means improbable that the cure by degenera- 

 tion may be effected at an earlier date. Be that as 

 it may, it is most interesting to know that a measly ox or 

 calf, however much diseased, is capable of soon outliving 

 its contained enemies — that is, if the animal be removed 

 from the original sources of infection. I believe six 

 months to be ordinarily sufficient to effect this cure. 

 This lapse of time will at all events ensure the death 

 of the cysticerci, and thus prevent their proving injurious 

 to any person who may chance to have swallowed them 

 along with meat. 



The next and final question for our consideration is 

 that relating to the amount of cooking necessary 

 for the destruction of these parasites. Some time past 

 I remarked that when people persist in partaking of 

 meat which has not been raised throughout to a tempera- 

 ture of 140° Fahr., they thereby render themselves liable 

 to play the part of host. Prolonged cooking, whether 

 by boiling or roasting up to this comparatively low 

 degree of heat, is amply sufficient to destroy the measles 

 of beef, pork, and mutton. Dr. Lewis more than con- 

 firms my testimony, and he adds many particulars of 

 great interest. It is a mistake to suppose that all 

 underdone meat is dangerous to eat ; for, unless very 

 raw, the temperature will probably have risen far above 

 the protective limit. Dr. Lewis ascertained that the 

 centre of legs of mutton put into the boiler reached 



