TRICHINA by P. Strong

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 16, 1867

TRICHINA.

By P. Strong

How long before people will learn that there is death in the pot? Bro. P. Strong sends us the following startling account of cases of the trichina disease in this State:—

I clip the following from the Ionia Sentinel, thinking that it might be interesting to those that hold on to ham and eggs as a choice dish, and encouraging to those that have left flesh eating among the things of the past, and are trying to purify themselves by a healthy diet.

“TRICHINA.—A case of supposed Trichina has been exciting our community for several days. It seems that Mr. James Haight, living about four miles north-east of this village, recently procured a ham in this place and after eating of it, I myself and all his family, consisting of a wife and three children, were taken very sick. The wife died yesterday, and one of the children is not expected to recover. The Doctors disagree as to whether it be Trichina or not, but pieces cut from the muscles will be sent to some place where they can be examined with powerful microscopes, and the question will soon be settled.”

Since the above was printed, the child spoken of has died, and the examination has been made. Several pieces of flesh taken from the mother, by Drs. Barnes and Thomas were carried to Grand Rapids and examined by microscope. It was found to be literally alive with the trichina worm.

I am told that the mother was in such agony just before her death, that she tore her flesh off to the bone. It was but a few days after their eating the ham, before the first subjects were dead, and the rest of the family are in a dangerous situation.

Since writing the above, we find the following in the Ionia Gazette.

“TRICHINA.—Some four weeks since, a gentleman by the name of Haight, who resides about four miles north-east of Ionia purchased a ham at one of the grocery stores in this village, and took it home and a portion of it was eaten by the family without cooking. About a week afterward, symptoms of that dread disease, trichiniosis made their appearance in one member of the family, and one after another the whole family have been prostrated with it, and in spite of all the efforts of the attending physicians, two, the wife and youngest son of Mr. Haight have died, and the remainder of the family, Mr. Haight and two sons, now lie in a very critical condition. A portion of several muscles, taken from the body of Mrs. Haight, after death, were subjected to microscopic examination on Wednesday last, at Grand Rapids, in presence of several medical gentlemen of that city, by Dr. W. B. Thomas, of this village. Trichinæ was found in abundance. From the number found in the specimens examined it is estimated that a cubic inch of flesh would contain 16,000 of the animalculæ. A further account will be given as soon as the physicians can perfect their investigations.”

The pork disease is causing a great deal of excitement here, and pork eating for the present is discontinued by many. There are two cases reported in St. John, supposed to be the trichina disease. Thus we can see that it is rapidly gaining ground, and coming still nearer home.

May the Lord help us to reform in our living before it gets within our own houses.

P. STRONG.

Orleans, Mich.