144 
EIGHTH REPORT. 
Gid is a hydatid disease of the brain or cord in sheep, due to an in¬ 
fection by the coenurus cerebralis the embryonic form of the taenia 
coenurus of the dog. 
Measles is caused by the presence of cysticercus cellulosse in the mus¬ 
cles of the pig. This parasite is the cysticercoid form of the taenia 
solum or pork tape worm. Ingestion of raw or partially cooked meat 
infected with this parasite results in infection for the human, the 
embryo developing into the adult worm in the intestine. It was owing 
to the prevalence of this disease among hogs that pork was prohibited 
as a food stuff by Moses in early times. 
The measles of cattle is due to infection by a similar organism, the 
cysticercus bovis, which is the embryonic form of the taenia saginata 
or beef worm, the most common tape worm of this country. Man is 
infected by consuming infected beef, either raw or partially cooked. 
Trichiniasis, of which many epidemics occur in this country, is due 
to the ingestion of pork containing the embryos of the trichina spi¬ 
ralis. These embryos when encapsulated are capable of withstanding a 
temperature of 156 F. and a thorough cooking is necessary to destroy 
them. 
Hydatid disease of cattle, sheep and hogs is due to infection by the 
ecchinococcus veterinorum, the proscolex stage of the tinea ecchino- 
coccus of the dog. It is found most frequently in the lungs and liver 
of adult animals. Partaking of such meats, if not sufficiently cooked, 
frequently proves fatal. 
The foregoing in brief summarises the more common diseases Avhich 
may be transmitted from animal to man, either by contact with or 
consumption of the flesh of animals suffering from them. There is no 
doubt that much of such food finds its way into the market. This is 
not due to lack of vigilance on the part of the inspector but to insuf¬ 
ficient organization of meat inspection in this country and the lack 
of appreciation of what calamities epidemics from this source may 
cause. Before an improvement of this condition may be hoped for such 
epidemics as recently occurred in Bay City must again be repeated be¬ 
fore the public awakes to realize the importance of thorough meat in¬ 
spection. The thorough cooking of meats in many cases protects 
the public from dangerous infections, but it is very questionable whether 
the toxins present in infected meat, and themselves capable of produc¬ 
ing disease, are destroyed by this measure. 
This vital question winch affects the health particularly of people 
living in cities and who rely on others to distinguish good from bad 
can best be solved by the establishment of central abbatoirs where com¬ 
plete and efficient inspection, both before and after slaughter, can be 
made by men especially trained for that purpose. 
Detroit, Michigan. 
