91 
1833-36 DISCOVERY OF ‘TRICHINA SPIRALIS’ 
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 
thino-s from crabs downwards, I send the enclosed 
for your inspection. 
‘ Ever yours sincerely, 
‘ TiiO. WORMALD.’ 
Upon examining this piece of muscle, Owen 
discovered a new entozoon, the Tvichinct, spiTcclts. 
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 : — 
‘ 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- 
