TRICHINIASIS is the name of the diseased condition which is induced by the in gestion of food containing trichina spinals in large quantity. The first recorded case, as occurring in the human subject, is that of Zenker, which has been already noticed in the article TRICHINA; but there can be no doubt that the disease has long existed, although its origin was previously unsuspected. The first symptoms of this disease, as it occurs in the human subject, are loss of appetite, followed by nausea and a sense of fatigue, prostration, and general indisposition. This stage lasts about a week. Pain and stiffness of the limbs, accompanied by swelling of the face, and fever of a pecul iar type, characterized by a very frequent pulse, moderate thirst, and copious perspira tions, now show themselves; the commencement of the second stage of the disease being thus synchronous with the migration of the trichina-brood into the muscles, there to become encysted. During this stage, pressure, or any attempt to move the parts under the control of the swollen muscles, is intensely painful, and even the normal respiratory movements cause such constant pain as to render sleep impossible. In severe cases the patient lies on. his back like a paralyzed person. The tongue presents much the same appearance as iu ordinary gastric fever. The bowels are most commonly constipated. but iu some of the worst cases there is continuous diarrhea. The swelling which began in the face now disappears, and is replaced by swelling of the feet, which gradually rises to the trunk. In about the fourth week of the disease the trichinae may be regarded as permanently settled, and as having completed their destructive action on the muscles. This is the beginning of the third stage, winch is mainly characterized by extreme weak ness. The gastric symptoms abate, the appetite returns, and, in favorable cases, the muscular pains and swelling gradually diminish, while in severe cases, this third stage is the most dangerous part-of the disease; the diarrhea being severe, and accompanied with tenesmus, and often with the involuntary discharges of the feces and urine, while the skin exhibits extreme pallor, and is enormously distended with effused serum.
Moreover, pneumonia often supervenes at this period. The fourth and last stage is that of convalescence. This may begin at the fifth week, or later, and may last from 3 weeks to as many months. In mild cases it is impossible to draw a definite line be tween this and the preceding stage. Death may occur at any period. It has been ob served as early as the 5th, and as late as the 42d day of the disease. A single trichinous pig, if its flesh is eaten without being previously submitted to such culinary processes as to destroy the vitality of the larval trichina, may establish a local epidemic of this disease. The most important of those epidemics have occurred in Germany, and are noticed by a German physician, Dr. Thudichum, i#r " The Seventh Report of the Medi cal Officer of the Privy Council," 1865. Of these, the second or great epidemic at Hettstiidt was the most severe. It commenced in the second half of Oct., 1663, and affected 158 persons, of whom 28 died. All these persons were found to have been eating trichinous pork, either perfectly raw, or in the form of smoked or fried sausage, meat-balls. brawn, black-pudding, etc As soon as a case of suspected trichiniasis comes under the notice of the physician, attempts should be made to remove the mature worms from the intestine by active pur gation. For this purpose calomel, in scruple doses, is more serviceable than any other purgative. Two or three such doses should be given at intervals of 24 hours. No spe cial directions can be given for the treatment of the fever. If there is any appetite. the diet should be light, and at the same time nourishing. Liebig's extract of meat has been found very serviceable in keeping up the strength. The most effectual remedy for the sleeplessness was found to be the cold wet sheet, in which the patient should be wrapped repeatedly during the day. The preparations of opium only aggravate the discomfort. The other symptoms must be treated by the ordinal). rules of therapeutics.