946 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXXI, No. 10 
factors being the effects of the severe irritation to the intestinal 
mucosa as a result of the rather deep penetration of the worms into 
the intestinal wall. If toxic substances are present in cooked and 
refrigerated trichinous meat in a state in which they are still capable 
of deleteriously affecting susceptible animals, the evidence of such 
toxicity should be demonstrable by feeding the meat to rats. 
EXPERIMENTS 
SERIES I 
Meat from a trichinous rabbit, containing viable encapsuled worms, 
was gradually heated in water until the latter began to boil. Liberal 
portions of this meat were fed to each of six rats on August 16, 18, 
and 19, 1924. The animals devoured it readily. No symptoms 
developed as a result of the experiment, the animals continuing to 
eat the usual oat ration and exhibiting their normal activities for 
several months. 
SERIES II 
Trichinous pork that was very heavily infested was refrigerated 
for a period of 25 days at a temperature below 5° F., a procedure 
which is destructive to the vitality of trichinae. Liberal portions of 
this pork selected from parts of the carcass that were known to be 
heavily parasitized, namely, the diaphragm and the intercostal 
muscles, were fed to a series of 12 rats on December 3, 4, 6, 9, and 12, 
1924. The rats showed no evidence of discomfort. They were 
kept alive on their usual ration for several months after the experi¬ 
mental feedings and continued throughout this period in apparent 
good health. 
SERIES III 
Liberal portions of cooked trichinous pork from a heavily infested 
hog were fed to 6 rats on January 10, 13, 19, 21, and 24, 1925. A 
sufficient quantity of meat was given each time to last from two to 
three days. All the meat given was consumed. No ill effects were 
observed, the animals continuing in good health for about two months 
after the experiments. Subsequently they were used in other 
experiments. 
SERIES IV 
V 
The same animals that were used in Series III were fed trichinous 
pork refrigerated as described in connection with Series II. The 
rats were fed as follows: February 9, 1925, meat enough to last three 
days; March 6, 1925, enough to last two days; March 14, 1925, 
enough to last three days. The animals consumed all the meat 
that they were given and showed no ill effects. They were appar- 
entlv in perfect health on May 25, 1925, on which date they were 
used in other experiments. 
series v 
Three dogs and three cats were fed liberal portions of refrigerated 
trichinous pork, prepared in accordance with the method described 
in connection with the experiments in Series II. Sufficient meat 
was given each time to last from two to three days, no other feed 
being given during that period. The animals were fed on the follow- 
