INFESTING  THE  MUSCLES  OF  THE  HUMAN  BODY. 
323 
I  have  seen,  in  two  pieces  of  the  diseased  muscle,  groups  of  minute  oblong  vesicles, 
about  Twth  part  of  an  inch  in  length ;  and  these  may  by  possibility  be  germs  of  the 
Trichina:  they  are  pellucid,  and  without  internal  spot  or  other  structure. 
Although  the  parasites  which  have  been  described  are  of  such  minute  size,  their 
number  is  so  immense,  and  their  distribution  throughout  the  muscular  system  so  ex- 
tensive, that  they  must  occasion  debility  from  the  quantity  of  nutriment  required  for 
their  support.  It  is  satisfactory,  however,  to  believe,  and  the  history  of  the  two  cases 
which  have  afforded  the  materials  of  the  present  communication  encourages  the  belief, 
that  the  Trichina  are  productive  of  no  other  consequence  than  debility  of  the  muscular 
system  ;  and  it  may  be  questioned  how  far  they  can  be  considered  as  a  primary  cause  of 
debility,  since  an  enfeebled  state  of  the  vital  powers  is  the  probable  condition  under 
which  they  are  originally  developed.  No  painful  or  inconvenient  symptoms  were  pre- 
sent to  lead  the  medical  attendants  to  suspect  the  condition  of  the  muscular  system 
which  dissection  afterwards  disclosed ;  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  in  all  cases  the 
patient  himself  will  be  unconscious  of  the  presence  of  the  microscopic  parasites  which 
are  enjoying  their  vitality  at  his  expense. 
An  inspection  of  the  muscles  of  recently  amputated  limbs  might  afford  the  opportu- 
nity of  examining  this  interesting  species  under  peculiarly  favourable  circumstances ; 
and  the  occurrence  of  two  cases  in  the  same  dissecting-room  within  so  short  a  period 
of  each  other,  with  the  recollection  of  similar  appearances  being  not  unfrequently  pre- 
sent in  subjects  dissected  in  the  same  establishment,  render  it  highly  probable  that  a 
sufficient  number  of  observations  will  soon  occur  to  elucidate  this  curious  disease  in  all 
its  relations. 
It  is  one,  and  by  no  means  the  least  important  benefit  of  the  present  system  of  pro- 
viding subjects  for  anatomical  purposes,  that  the  histories  of  the  uncommon  appear- 
ances which  may  present  themselves  can  be  traced,  and  the  circumstances  to  which  the 
appearances  relate  be  accurately  determined.  Many  an  interesting  pathological  con- 
dition has  been  wholly  lost  to  science  from  the  want  of  such  regulations  as  are  now  in 
operation ;  and  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  the  unfavourable  condition  in 
which  subjects  were  formerly  for  the  most  part  obtained,  may  have  contributed  to  pre- 
vent due  attention  being  paid  to  the  appearance  which  has  been  described,  and  which 
results  from  so  singular  and  unexpected  a  cause. 
PLATE  XLI. 
Figg.  1  to  9.  Trichina  spiralis. 
Fig.  1.  A  portion  of  the /ea;or  carpi  ulnaris  of  the  Itahan  subject,  showing  the  cap- 
sules of  the  Trichince  scattered  over  the  muscle  and  tendon,  of  the  natural 
size. 
