TI|ICIII \A SIM ijA US 
Office Mississippi State (Board of Health; 
Jackson, January 7th, 1878. 
Du. A. G. Smytue. Sanitary Commissioner First Congressional District, has 
informed this office, that he has discovered the Trichina spiralis in the flesh of hogs 
recently slaughtered in Lee County. 
As these parasites, when introduced into the human system, produce a most 
alarming form of disease, it is well to know how to detect them in trichinous pork, and 
the means of destroying their vitality. 
They exist in the muscles, and when they become finally attached, a capsule is 
formed around them, giving to the muscle a gray speckled appearance, as if thickly 
sprinkled with the eggs of some small insect," being quite distinct from the red muscle. 
The capsules contain the thread-like worm wound up spirally. Before the Trichina 
become en-capsuled they arc invisible to the naked eye and in the en-capsuled state, before 
cretification has commenced, they are difficult of detection without the aid of a lens. 
The microscope should always be employed. 
It is probable that the usual methods of curing or pickling pork, byr salting, 
smoking, etc., only kills these parasites nearest the surface. Raw ham and slightly 
smoked sausages have been known to produce poisoning. 
Imperfect cooking by roasting, broiling or frying only kills the Trichina on the 
surface; in the parts distant from the surface they remain alive. It requires thorough 
cooking; to destroy their vitality. The meat should be subjected to the temperature of 
boiling water for a sufficient time to insure that every particle has been acted upon by 
that degree of heat. 
WIRT JOHNSTON, M. D. 
Secretary State Board of Health.