648 * 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
ination of diseased meat, but never remember to have seen 
one to be compared to this. The statement of the case 
being one of trichinosis, will, we think, be regarded not only 
by our profession, but by the entire medical profession, as being 
at least very remarkable. For the first time also we learn 
of trichinae having produced effects of an irritant poison, and 
that almost immediately in forty-four persons who had par¬ 
taken of the sausages out of fifty-two. 
Besides this startling declaration, we cannot refrain 
from noticing another, in which Mr. Watson and Mr. Sun¬ 
derland are extolled for the success attending their treatment, 
because it was directed to killing the worms and preventing 
their entering the system. 
The report is as follows: 
Thaxted. 
The Cases of Poisoning by Sausages. 
Dr. Armistead, the Medical Officer of Health for the 
Dunmow Rural Sanitary Authority, has just reported to 
that authority upon the recent outbreak of trichinosis at 
Thaxted: 
“ He stated that he had examined fifty-two persons who 
had eaten some sausages, purchased at eightpence per pound, 
from a man who had a stall in the street, on June 14th, and 
of these forty-four showed symptoms of irritant poisoning; 
three others were slightly ill; and only five escaped without 
any ill effects. The symptoms varied a little, but there was 
generally diarrhoea, which in some cases was very severe, 
vomiting, thickly-coated tongue, pain in the stomach, back, 
and in the muscles, sometimes extending to the ends of the 
fingers, pain in the head, and in some cases double vision 
and swelling of the eyes. There followed more or less fever, 
with perspirations, thirst, and loss of appetite. In four of 
the cases vomiting and diarrhoea with pain began within 
twelve hours after eating the sausages. In one case sixteen 
hours elapsed. In twenty cases the symptoms were very 
violent at about the twenty-fourth hour. In four cases there 
were no symptoms for thirty-six hours, and in nine cases for 
sixty hours. In one case three days elapsed, in five cases six 
days, and in three cases the symptoms were so slight that no 
notice was taken of their commencement. This variation 
may be accounted for in several ways. Age seems to have 
