M. T. CHATIN. 
167 
ZOOLOGY. 
^ENCYSTED TRICHINAE IN THE INTESTINAL WALLS OF THE PIG. 
By M. T. Chatin. 
In a preceding communication, I have shown the presence of 
trichinae in various tissues, where it has since been observed by 
others, (M. Fourmont, Delavaux, etc.,) facts which allow us to 
appreciate at their just value the descriptions which represent to 
us trichinae as being special to the muscular system. 
It seems besides that, far from assuming such rigorous locali¬ 
zation, that helminth may be found in very different parts of the 
organism, as recently I had occasion to find it in a new structure. 
Amongst the products of American importation, submitted 
to the examination of the laboratory of Havre, was a large lot 
of intestines of swine, whose inspection was made according to 
the ordinary way. Samples having been obtained from all the 
pieces of the different boxes, the microscopic study revealed a 
peculiarity that the classical notions did not allow to repeat; in 
the thickness of the intestinal walls were found numerous 
trichinae in various stages of development. Some were in the 
embryo condition, or at least had hardly passed out of it, as, if 
they presented already a manifest existence of the mouth and in¬ 
testines (this last as thin as a granular band) they nevertheless pos¬ 
sessed in the general form of the body, the lanceolated condition 
which is characteristic of the period of development; others 
were better developed, larger, rolled and not encysted. An im¬ 
portant condition not to be overlooked, is that most of the 
trichinae were protected by the cysts normally formed and well 
defined, imbedded in the intestinal envelopes. 
The fact is not only new in the natural history of the parasite, 
it asks also a certain attention in the prophylactic point of view. 
Indeed, these intestines being imported to be used as covering 
envelopes of sausages with indigenous meat, these might have 
been healthy and become infected by their envelopes ; a small 
piece of it might have been sufficient to produce contamination.— 
Gazette Medicate. 
