Medical marvel and the humble sausage

I have been looking into the social implications of medicine and came across Rudolf Virchow (1821-1902). This guy has become a bit of a legend in my books. He is seen as a 'father of modern pathology', recognising the cell as the basic building block of the body. He also was a avid promoter of social medicine, something I myself am hugely interested in. 

Medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing else but medicine on a large scale. Medicine, as a social science, as the science of human beings, has the obligation to point out problems and to attempt their theoretical solution: the politician, the practical anthropologist, must find the means for their actual solution… The physicians are the natural attorneys of the poor, and social problems fall to a large extent within their jurisdiction.

Rudolf Virchow

From my understanding, what Virchow is saying here is that the effects of social society at large on health are innumerable. That cannot be denied when looking at the incidence of disease and the effects of poverty at the micro UK level and macro developing/developed country level. It is therefore the medical world that provides much of the evidence of social inequalities. With such apparent implications there is however no simple fix, and politicians need to fight for an answer [Await a blog soon on the preventative health measures of the NHS]. Coming from a geography background these disparities from place to place are of huge interest - cause of illness can be looked at from all scales, from genes to cells, organs, systems, to outside the body itself into society. 

So what does this all have to do with the humble sausage? 

Virchows liberal views rivalled the famous Otto von Bismarck in the german political scene of the late nineteenth century. Challenged to a duel, Virchow, allowed to choose the weapon, was typically german and opted for the pork sausage. He niftily loaded his porker with the Trichinella parasite which would have put Bismarck in his place (or more accurately, on das Klo [the loo]). Bismarck ironically turned down the duel unwilling the risk to his health. I just can't help but laugh to imagine a modern day scenario, Ed and Dave circling each other in the house of commons with their loaded forks. I don't believe they, like Bismarck, they would have the guts (no pun intended) to, another reason why Virchow is a bit of a legend.