TRICHINA SPTRALIS. 15 
destroy any parasites that may be present. Prof. Perroncito, of 
Turin, has shown that when trichinz are exposed to a temperature 
of 50° C. (122° Fahr.) for five minutes, they are killed. Leuckart, 
however, claims that a temperature of 65° to 70° C. (149° to 158° 
Fahr.) is necessary to destroy them. A most interesting and impor- 
tant fact, however, is that large masses of meat may be brought to 
the temperature of boiling water at the surface, and yet remain at a 
comparatively low heat in the interior. Thus Prof. Perroncito found 
that a ham, weighing 12 lbs., put into cold water, and heated, had 
attained only 25° C. (77° Fahr.) at the centre, when the surrounding 
water had reached the boiling point. And even after thirty minutes 
the thermometer indicated at different parts of the interior only 
30° and 40° C. (95° to 104° Fahr. )—a temperature far below the death 
point of trichine in the state in which they are usually found in 
flesh. Larger hams, as mueht have been expected, showed still more 
marked results. 
Great care must therefore be taken to secure thorough cooking, but 
if this be done no fear need be entertained in regard to trichina, no 
matter how many of these parasites may be present in the meat. 
But it is not enough that we should be able to protect ourselves 
from occasional exposure to these pests; the interests of our com- 
merce, of our agriculture, and the health of our domestic ani- 
mals, all demand our most serious efforts to stamp out this enemy. 
How shall this be accomplished ? 
It is probable that there are modes of propagation and distribu- 
tion of which we are still ignorant, but we feel tolerably certain 
that the four modes which we have already described are those by 
-which almost all the mischief is done. And if it were not forthe rat, 
trichina could be easily stamped out of the country in a few years. 
As it is, however, much may be done towards getting rid of this pest, 
even in the presence of rats, but to accomplish this, certain prac- 
tices, at present in vogue, must be abandoned. And so important 
do we regard this battle against what Dr. Kratz calls ‘‘man’s most 
dangerous enemy,” that the most stringent legislation should be 
adopted on the subject. This legislation should look to the preven- 
tion and destruction of trichinz, rather than to the mere detection 
of these pests, and the confiscation of the meat containing them. 
The appointment of thousands of meat inspectors will do no good 
unless the sources of the trichinz are removed. Therefore, let suf- 
ficient regulations be enforced, and cause every butcher to become 
his own inspector by imposing severe penalties upon the man that 
offers trichinous meat for sale. 
