Moreover, it soon became clear that epidemics of trichinosis had been observed in Germany prior to 1860, but that their nature had not been recognized, although in a few cases Trichinellæ had been found in the muscles of those who had succumbed.
History of the Development of Trichinella spiralis.
Shortly after their introduction into the intestine of experimental animals the encysted Trichinellæ escape from their capsules, which are destroyed by the gastric juices, and they then enter the duodenum and jejunum, where they become adult. During this period they do not grow much, the males from 0·8 to 1·0 to 1·2 to 1·5 mm.; the females to 1·5 to 1·8 mm. Soon after copulation, which takes place in the course of two days, the males die; the females, which during the following days attain a length of 3 to 3·5 mm., either bore more or less deeply into the villi or, by means of Lieberkühn’s glands, into the mucous membrane (Askanazy, Cerfontaine, Geisse), and thus usually attain the lymph spaces. A few also pierce the intestinal wall and are then found in the mesentery and glands. The females deposit their young, the number of which, according to Leuckart, averages at least 1,500, in the lymph spaces; the newly born larvæ measure 90 µ to 100 µ in length, 6 µ in diameter, and they do not appear to increase in size during their migrations. The migrations are mostly passive, that is to say, the larvæ are carried along mainly by the lymph stream to the heart, but sometimes they are active, as may be inferred from the fact that young Trichinellæ are found in various parts of the intestinal wall beyond the chyle and lymph spaces, as well as in abundance in the abdominal cavity. Trichinellæ occur in the heart’s blood of artificially infected animals seven to twenty-three days after infection. If scanty, dilute the blood with about ten times the amount of 3 per cent. acetic acid and centrifugalize.
The young brood is distributed from the heart throughout the entire body, but the conditions necessary to its further development are found only in striated muscle; the young Nematodes penetrate the capillaries, attain the intramuscular connective tissue and then invade the fibres (Virchow, Leuckart, Graham[304]). On the ninth or tenth day after infection the first Trichinellæ have reached their destination; but further invasions are constantly taking place because the intestinal Trichinellæ live from five to seven weeks, and continue to produce their young.
Symptoms.—(1) Period of invasion: Gastro-intestinal symptoms—nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhœa, colic. Muscular pains may occur even at this period. Recurrent abdominal pains about the eighth day, a temporary œdema. Embryos are abundant in the serous cavities.
(2) Period of dissemination: Second week. Myositis, variable in amount, is the predominant symptom. The biceps and calf may be hard and tender. Mastication, speech, respiration, etc., may be difficult and painful. Dyspnœa may be intense. Temperature 104° to 105° F.
(3) Period of encystment: Symptoms of marked cachexia. Third week: Second period of œdema, especially of face. Delirium, somnolence, lung affections. Death or gradual subsidence of symptoms in mild cases.
Eosinophilia (50 per cent. or more) is present.
In consequence of the new batches of young produced during several weeks, the above-mentioned symptoms of disease are often considerably aggravated; the fever increases, delirium may arise, and infiltration of the lungs, fatty degeneration of the liver and inflammation of the kidneys may ensue; the initial slight œdema may extend, the strength dwindles, and in many cases the patients succumb to the trichinosis. In severe cases improvement of the condition is only apt to occur in the fourth or fifth week; the convalescence is always protracted.