'JJ J v 



DISCOVERY OF 'TRICHINA SPIRALIS 5 91 



of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, sent him a piece 

 of human muscle accompanied by the following 

 letter : — 



' Dear Owen, — I send you some sort of orga- 

 nised beings, as I believe, which occupy the muscles 

 of a subject now under dissection at St. B. H., 

 and as I know you are a keen hand for parasitical 

 things from crabs downwards, I send the enclosed 

 for your inspection. 



* Ever yours sincerely, 

 ' Tho. Wormald.' 



Upon examining this piece of muscle, Owen 

 discovered a new entozoon, the Trichina spiralis. 

 This minute worm ' is not limited in its distribu- 

 tion to the muscles of man,' but when found in 

 the human body not unfrequently causes death. 

 It is well known as producing the epidemic 

 trichinosis, which makes its appearance chiefly 

 in Germany, or in such places where diseased 

 pork or partially cooked ham are consumed. In 

 order to prosecute these discoveries, bits of decay- 

 ing muscle were often brought into the house 

 for examination, and on November 18 of this year 

 Mrs. Owen describes an evening's amusement : — 

 1 Richard spent the evening in examining some 

 of the minute worms found in the muscles of 

 a man. I looked at one or two through the 

 microscope and saw [here there is a little sketch 

 of the trichina as it appeared under the micro- 



