"trichina" (1866), "trichiniasis" (1864), "trichine" (attr.), all as the disease (trichinosis)

[Joel S. Berson]

"Trichina", "trichiniasis", and "trichine" as the disease
(trichinosis).  Source: 19th Century U.S. Newspapers, except as noted.

A.   "trichina":  Not in OED2 as a disease.

1)  1866 Feb. 23:  "The Detroit Tribune says that one case of the
disease called trichina, which has recently excited much alarm in
Berlin, Prussia, has appeared in that city and proved
fatal".  (Article from Alabama)

2)  1866 April 11, Lowell [MA] Daily Citizen and News.  "How to be
Healthy, Wealthy, Beautiful, and Happy: The Most Useful Book of the
Day'.  Contents include "Part 8th. The Trichina, or Pork Disease, its
Cause and History."  "This invaluable work will be mailed free to any
address on the receipt of fifty cents. Three copies $1.00.  Agents
wanted.  Address 'UNION BOOK ASSOCIATION.'  Box 302, Syracuse, N. Y."


B:  "trichiniasis":  In OED2, under "trichina", 1867--.  The
following are antedatings.

1)  1864 March 26:  The Medical Times and Gazette, Vol. 1, page 348,
col. 1:  "Between November 7, 1863, and January Dr. Wagner has had
eleven cases of trichiniasis in the living person under his own
notice."  [In an article titled "On a Trichina Epidemic at
Leipzig."  The article (continued in April?) has a number of
instances of "trichiniasis".  Google Books full view; date at top of page.]

Google Books claims several other journals for 1864.

2)  1865 July 1, Daily Evening Bulletin (San Francisco), in "A Plea
for the Hog".  Near the bottom of col. A is a quote from a report of
the Superintendent of Health of the City of Providence.  That quote
includes, in a discussion of parasites, "The second, when eaten,
produces a serious disease, called 'Trichiniasis,' the symptoms and
causes of which have been known and described only within the last few years."

(This cannot be found using just "trichiniasis".  Try "plea" + "hog"
-- that'll do.)

3)  1866 April 17, Daily National Intelligencer (Washington,
D.C.).  "They also report that persons eating this meat render
themselves liable to contract trichiniasis".  ("They" is the
previously-mentioned committee of the Chicago Academy of Sciences.)

There are probably 5 more instances of "trichiniasis" before 1867 in
19th Century American Newspapers.


C.  "trichine", attr.:  In OED2, one instance, under "trichina",
1865, bracketed.

1)  1866 March.  Alden's Illustrated Family Miscellany, Vol. 12, No.
139, unpaged [10th page], col. 1.  "The trichine disease has made its
appearance in he island of Funen."  [Google Books, full view.]

2)  1866 June 20.  Milwaukee Daily Centinel:  Article "A New
Epidemic".  "The Trichine disease, a new and terrible malady, is
ravaging Prussia".

3)  1866.  The Ladies Home Companion, and Monthly Magazine, Vol. 29,
second series, p. 211, col. 1.  "The Trichine Disease.--- ... it is
only in some districts of Germany that the trichine disease has had
serious consequences."  [Google full view, apparently bound together
with the 1865 edition.]


Joel

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