What we see in the lower animals has been witnessed in man, and cases are accumulating so as to teach physicians how to diagnose the trichina in the living subject. The early reports of such cases in this country revealed such complications, that the trichina have been looked upon as harmless occupants of the muscles of diseased or healthy human beings. The cases reported by Professor Owen belong to this class; and whether the death of the sick people whose histories are given was hastened or not by the trichinous disease, we are left to conjecture. I am inclined to think that the muscuJar parasite is, to say the least, a dangerous complication, as in the following instance. Dr. Bellingham reports that Bernard Macauley (æt. 67), a laborer, was admitted into St. Vincent's Hospital, December 20, 1851. He had for several years suffered from cough and oppression of his breathing. A fortnight ago, he says he was attacked with severe pain in the left side after exposure to cold. On examination, signs of bronchitis and emphysema of the lungs were evident; in addition, there was dulness, which indicated much fluid. The breathing was much oppressed, and the patient much debilitated. He gradually became worse, and died on the fifth day after his admission. On examination, the lungs were emphysematous, the bronchial tubes loaded with mucous, the left pleura was coated by lymph, and about a pint and a half of very fetid pus was contained in its cavity. The most remarkable point, however, connected with the case, was the presence of an immense number of the cysts of the Trichina spiralis in the voluntary muscles, particularly in the pectoralis major and minor upon each side, in the sterno-mastoid, sterno-thyroid, and omo-hyoid muscles upon both sides. When these muscles were exposed, they had the appearance of being dotted over with innumerable minute white specks of an oval or elliptic form, the long diameter corresponding with that of the muscular fibres; these, on examination, proved to be cysts of the Trichina spiralis. Fatal cases have been reported by Continental observers. Thus, Professor Zenker, of Dresden, mentions that, among 136 post-mortem examinations which he made during eight months of the year 1855, he found four subjects evidently affected with trichina. He gives in detail the case of a farm girl who died under his observation in 1860, killed by trichinæ. She had a month before been taking part with the other farm servants in a particular pig-sticking, and in the consequent processes, and had probably (according to what is said to be not a very unusual practice) taken an occasional pinch of the sausage-meat which she had to chop. She soon fell ill, and died in five weeks. Her bowels contained swarms of adult trichinæ, and the voluntary muscles throughout her entire body were colonized by myriads of larvæ. It appeared, on inquiry, that other persons who took part in slaughtering the same pig also suffered, and that, though none died, two were bed-ridden for weeks. Microscopical examination of products which were remaining of the slaughtered pig-ham, sausages, and black-puddings-showed in them innumerable dead trichinæ. In July, 1863, a paper was published by Dr. C. Tüngel, of Hamburg, giving particulars of a case in which certainly one death was caused, and perhaps also a second death, as well as some not fatal illness, by the consumption of trichinous pork on board ship. Of the two deaths, one occurred on the 24th, the other on the 27th day after that on which the pig was slaughtered and the consumption of its flesh begun. In the last number of the Edinburgh Medical Journal similar instances are recorded, and, no doubt, ere long science will be enriched by a host of facts that prove that trichinous animal food is a danger to be very carefully avoided. I have gathered together the facts and observations in this brief article to demonstrate the precise nature of the relation between troublesome, dangerous, and even fatal parasitic diseases of human beings and swine. There are those who consider that we must trust to good cooking to prevent such diseases. I consider it just as reasonable to trust to cleanliness and ventilation to prevent human small-pox. There can be no doubt that care and cleanliness have a tendency materially to diminish the chances of contagion; but as for some wise end, no doubt, contagious diseases present the same determined tendency to reproduction that we notice in the multiplication of parasites, and as our first concern in relation to such maladies. as small-pox is to destroy the poison or to combat the virulence of that poison by rendering the human frame but little susceptible to its deadly influences, should we aim primarily at the extermination of the parasites in the animals we eat. REPORT ON FEEDING SHEEP IN THE OPEN FIELD AND IN COVERED PENS OR BOXES. By Mr. JAMES B. BIRD, Renton Barns, Grant's House. [Premium-The Gold Medal.] IN submitting this report, the reporter thinks it preferable to give, first, a minute detail of how the experiment was conducted; next, a statement of the result; and lastly, a few remarks expressive of his own opinion regarding it. The twenty sheep with which the experiment was made were selected from a flock of hoggs mostly three parts bred, viz.: once from the Cheviot and twice from the Leicester. They were divided into four lots of five each, and, after being carefully weighed, were put on to and continued eating white globe turnips all the time allowed for making the trial, viz.: from the 14th November, 1856, till the 14th March, 1857. Two of the lots were folded in the usual way on the field in which the turnips were growing, each lot in an enclosure of about 15 square yards, and receiving a small fresh break when necessary. One of the lots was allowed 2 lb. crushed linseed cake per day—that is, half a pound for each sheep-as an auxiliary along with the turnips. The other lot was allowed turnips alone. On and after the 26th January, both lots had the turnips pulled, rooted, shawed, and cut for them by Gardiner's cutter. The other two lots were put into houses thatched with straw, and water-tight. Each house was 21 feet long by 8 feet in breadth and 5 feet in height. The walls were of stone and lime, excepting the front, which was open, the sheep being kept in by hurdles, thus allowing them plenty of light and air without undue exposure or draught. Altogether they were remarkably well sheltered, for although the open front faced the east, a range of houses 50 yards distant intervened with good effect against the cold east wind, and a wall 6 feet high sheltered them from the north. It was found necessary to give them a fresh littering of straw every morning; and the turnips consumed by them were brought from a portion of the same field, and closely adjoining to where the other two lots were folded; and in quality and bulk as a crop were, as near as could be judged, equal. In good, fresh weather, not more than what were found to be necessary for about a week's consumption were rooted and carted home at a time, so that the sheep might have them quite fresh, and as near as possible in the same condition as the two field lots-having this considerable advantage, however, that the turnips they received were always clean, whereas in wet weather those in the field had them very dirty, making a considerable quantity sometimes, by their trampling, unfit for food altogether, and wasted on that account. The two house-lots eat their turnips out of boxes, and had them given to them whole, shaws and all, till the 26th January, when they, as well as the field-lots, had them cut to them with Gardiner's cutter. One of the lots was also allowed 2 lb. crushed linseed-cake along with their turnips daily. From their being deprived of the necessary friction of the ground, which seems naturally requisite to keep their feet hard and healthy, and the encouragement given them by their standing constantly amongst the soft, warm straw, to become soft and long in the digitals, it was found necessary to pare them once during the four months to prevent foot-rot It will at once be seen by this table that the experiment tells very much in favor of feeding sheep in the ordinary way on turnips in the field, in preference to feeding them under cover, from the field-fed lots there being left a considerable profit, especially from the five sheep that received linseed-cake along with their turnips; whereas on the house-fed lots there is shown a dead loss of 11s. 11d. on the five that received linseed-cake along with their turnips, and 18s. 8d. on the five which received turnips alone. The expenses for labor and attendance may appear comparatively great on the two lots fed under cover, but as the turnips consumed by them were all carted home from a considerable distance, accounts for the dif ference. The expenses, indeed, for attendance on all the lots are rather beneath what they really were, it taking as much time to travel between small separate lots as whole flocks. But the writer, taking that into consideration, has calculated the expenses marked in the table against each lot for attendance-such as looking after, shifting nets, hurdles, &c.; picking and cutting turnips to those in the field; littering, hand-feeding, and cutting turnips to those in the house-more as to how many one man could really manage to feed and look after, than as to what time was really spent in feeding and attending to twenty. He considers that one man at 28. per day, if he does his duty, is fully qualified to attend on, carry litter, and cut turnips to ten scores of hoggs feeding under cover, provided the houses are conveniently situated. Feeding in the field, one man may manage to look after, shift nets, and pick turnips to twenty scores, or cut and carry to twelve scores of hoggs. The wool also of the house-fed lots seemed very inferior in quality; and were they now shorn and the fleeces weighed, the writer feels assured that he would have to report here a deficiency also in weight from the fleeces of the two lots fed in the field, which in quality and quantity seemed quite superior.* Some deduction ought also to be made from the two house-fed lots, for a probable deficiency in the ensuing crop of grain sown on the land whence the turnips used by them were removed. No doubt the manure made by them under cover, if impartially spread over and ploughed into the ground, would materially aid in counteracting the impoverishing effect of leading all the turnips off; but it must be taken into account that a considerable expense attends the carting of dung to any considerable distance, as also a little in getting it well spread; and on light, or even on moderately light soil, it can never have the same good effect as when the turnips are consumed by the sheep being folded on them in the field. For, independ ent of the manure left by them, the soil, by the treading of their feet, is left in a consolidated state, which, when ploughed, well harrowed, and rolled, not only proves itself much more capable of producing an abun • Weight of Wool shorn off the different Lots about the end of May, 1857:No. 1.-Clipped..... No. 2. 37 No. 4. lb. No. 3.-Clipped.. 413 46 311 lb. 33 |