FOX, United States Consul to George W. Sargent, October 25, 1883

Consul Fox to Mr. Sargent.

Sir: In compliance with your instructions I visited the villages of Ermesleben and Deesdorf, in this consular district, on October 23, and have now the honor to make the following report upon the trichina epidemic prevailing in that vicinity.

Ermesleben, the place where the disease has taken most formidable dimensions, is situated near the Harz Mountains, about five English miles from the city of Halberstadt, in the province of Saxony. It embraces in its confines some of the most fertile soil, and is one of the most prosperous localities in the Prussian Kingdom.

The scourge now raging there has awakened not only the heartfelt sympathy of all, but the liveliest interest in medical circles, and the locality is visited daily by physicians from abroad and others interested in obtaining scientific information in regard to it. It has assumed such proportions that it is absolutely impossible for the resident physicians to attend to all the cases. Under the direction of privy counselor Prof. Dr. Weber, of Halle, Mr. Wagner, a student of medicine, is on the spot ministering to the wants of the sick and taking notes for the purpose of future publication. To this gentleman, as well as to Mr. Pastor Greiling, who is also unceasing in his attentions to the sufferers, and to Mr. Amtmann Heine, magistrate of the village, I am indebted for many courtesies shown, as well as for information in regard to and opportunity to personally see many of the patients. The sickness was first noticed in Ermesleben about September 16. Several persons were taken suddenly ill with nausea and acute diarrhea. Medical aid was obtained forthwith, and it was first thought that a cholera epidemic had broken out (cholera nostras), until other symptoms—swelling of the eyes, face, and extremities, combined with high fever—showed that it was undoubtedly trichinosis. The disease spread rapidly, and up to date 433 cases have been recorded; 36 have been fatal, and upwards of 19 will undoubtedly prove so, as follows:

In Nienhagen and Groningen the cases are much lighter than in Ermesleben, and in all probability the patients will all recover. Several cases are reported to exist in Wegeleben and Köthhof, though not over five in all. All of the infected villages lie within a circuit of about two English miles. I made Ermesleben and Deesdorf the basis of my investigation, and was informed by the gentlemen with whom I conversed upon the subject that I could learn nothing of further interest in the other places, as all the parties competent to give me information were in Ermesleben at the time.

When it became apparent that the disease was trichinosis the local authorities immediately instituted a thorough investigation in the endeavor to locate its origin.

It appears that on or about the 12th and 14th of September four swine were butchered; the meat of all was mixed and sold to the inhabitants of the infected districts. Three of the pigs were the so-called Landschwein (common kind reared in the vicinity), the other was Baguner (Hungarian). The fact has been established beyond all dispute that in all the cases the patients had eaten the meat raw, either in the form of Klumpfleisch (raw chopped meat) or in the form of Rothwurst (blood sausage). This latter article is said to be cooked, but (my informant, Mr. Pastor Greiling, assured me) so slightly as to have no effect whatever upon the trichinӕ germs. The custom of eating raw swine’s meat is prevalent in the neighborhood, and the first trichina epidemic occurred in 1865, though it was not so disastrous as the on e now raging. The inhabitants caimed then, as now, that the swine were not properly inspected. The country folk have the idea that the examination, when conducted according to law, gives them ample security. Dr. Wagner maintained to me, however, that this is an erroneous supposition, and that the present law is very defective. The law requires the inspector to make at least three preparations for microscopic examination, and, as a rule, he rarely makes more. It is asserted, however, that experiment has proved that the trichinӕ are sometimes found only after the thirtieth or fortieth trial respectively. In 1865 Professor Hertwieg, in an address delivered before a convention of Berlin butchers, said, “You know what you have to do in your kitchens, and if you do it properly we have no need for inspection.”

I think that the whole case is here stated in a nut-shell, and Ermesleben affords additional evidence of the truth of the statement. Mr. Amtmann Heine, leaseholder of the Ermesleben estates, together with his family, partook of the meat in cooked form. None of them have suffered in the least. One of the kitchen maids, however, simply tasted of the raw meat and is ill. The village tavern-keeper and his family also ate of the cooked meat and are well and hearty. His little daughter ate some of it raw at a neighbor’s home and became slightly infected. The sworn official inspector, who is, by the way, the village barber in Ermesleben, and the butcher, have been held to answer, and in the preliminary examination, the charges of manslaughter, infliction of bodily injury, and negligence in performance of duty have been preferred.

Under the law the butcher is required to notify the inspector when he has slaughtered a pig. The inspection is then made, which consists simply in making preparations for microscopic examination, as before stated; the inspector then certifies to the facts as they may appear to him. If he declares the animal to be clean, its meat can be sold for consumption. The butcher, as well as the inspector, is required to keep a list of all swine slaughtered and inspected. This list is at all times open to the revision of the authorities. In the case in question it appears that this list was not kept, or, if kept at all, so imperfectly as to be wholly worthless as evidence. The delinquents made an effort to put it in order, were detected and finally acknowledged it. They nevertheless earnestly maintained that the inspection was made according to law. The parties as well as their families are all sick; several members have died,, and others are at the point of death. A circumstance which in a measure explains-how it happened that the epidemic assumed such formidable proportions in Ermesleben is the fact that it was the time of the potato harvest, and the whole village,, young and old, men, women, and children, were at work in the potato fields. At such times it is the custom not to cook a midday meal, but, in order to save the time which would otherwise be consumed in going and coming, to take a simple repast composed of raw meat and bread. As a natural consequence the sickness has caused great consternation in the community, and the people have become doubly careful. As a result, according to the Halberstädter Intelligenzblatt, several infected swine have been discovered. Mr. Meinecke, a veterinary surgeon in Derenburg, succeeded in finding one, and in his report makes the following suggestions:

• In order to secure thorough inspection to offer a high premium for every infected hog found.
• Not to eat the raw meat.
• To adopt measures, to prevent the swine becoming infected.

In conclusion it is hardly necessary for me to mention that the local authorities as well as private charity are doing all that human power can do to relieve the present distress. I cannot, however, refrain, in expressing my sincere thanks to Pastor Greiling and Mr. Wagner, to refer to their untiring energy and self-sacrifice of personal interests, in the work which they have on hand. Mr. Wagner is preparing an exhaustive-report, which he has promised to send me when completed, and I hope to be able to transmit same to you at an early day. While we certainly deeply sympathize with this sadly afflicted community, it must nevertheless be the source of peculiar satisfaction to our countrymen to know that the malady was not caused by American meats. In fact, it has not been even intimated that such a thing was possible, and there is no evidence that American pork has ever been used there at all.

I have, &c.,