The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-31 00:00:00

CITY COURT OF SEWERS.

Yesterday, at a meeting of the Commissioners of
Sewers for the city of London, held at Guildhall,
Mr. Deputy Christie, the chairman of the Commis-
sion, presiding, a question of considerable public
interest, especially as affecting the poorer classes,
was brought incidentally under discussion, turning
upon the large quantities of diseased and putrid
meat exposed for sale, week after week, in the city
markets. For years, week after week, Dr. Letheby,
the medical officer, has brought this matter under
the consideration.of the Court, but particularly of
late, the practice of exposing meat unfit for human
food for sale having been greatly on the increase,
and yesterday he called especial attention to the
subject. He reported on the state of 200 houses
that had been inspected during the week, and he
submitted a list of 71 places for sanitary improve.
ment in various particulars; He likewise reported
that during the week the officers had seized
3,6291b5., or nearly a ton and three quarters, of
meat, in the city markets, as unfit for human food.
1,1041b5. were seized in Newgate-market by Mr.
Fisher, 619 in Leadenhall-market by Mr. David-
son, and 1,966 in Aldgate and in Tyler's-market
and elsewhere by Mr. Newman. Of these amounts,
3,3471b5. were seized on account of disease, chiefly
rotten sheep that ought not to have been sent to
the city markets, and 2541b5. were from animals
that had died from natural causes. "It is high
time," he added, "that some vigorous measures
should be taken in order to check this dangerous
trade, for it is not enough to seize the unwholesome
meat which is sent for food to the city market, but
it is necessary also to punish the dealers who sell
it." "No one," he continued, " can estimate the
amount of mischief caused by the sale of such food,
for not only is the meat deficient in nutritive
power, but it is likewise charged with powerful
elements of disease. The poor are the chief
sufferers from this kind of food, for the rich are net
likely to use it except it be in the doubtful form of
sausages. To the poor, however, it is offered at
such'a price—less than ld, a pound—that they are
tempted to purchase it, and using it, with their vital
powers already prostrated by cold and want, the
morbific effects of it are quickly manifested, and are
allowed to have their fullest development. The
results, therefore, often are either a low putrid or
typhoid condition of the system, or acute irritation
of the stomach and bowels. Taking into considera-
tion the danger arising from the use of such food,
and the necessity for putting a stop to the sale of
it, it has been thought advisable that proceedings
should be taken against the dealers, under the
Nuisances Removal Act, instead of your own
Sewers Act, because the penalties are five times
greater. I trust that the public interests will in
this way be protected." The mortality returns for
the week are still excessively high. Instead of an
average of 63 deaths in the week, there have been
90, the same as in the preceding week ; indeed, the
total mortality of the last three weeks has been
275 instead of 188—a number which is just 46 per
cent. above the average—about one-third of the
deaths in the week were among children of less
than five years of age, and another third among
old persons of 60 and upwards. As in the preced-
ing fortnight the chief causes of death have been
diseases of the respiratory organs-22 deaths were
bronchitis,7 from pneumonia, and 10 from phthisis.
Only 11 deaths were occasioned by diseases of the 1
zymotic class, but of these fourwere due to measles,
and three to whooping cough. Seventy births were
registered in the week, and of these 40 were boys
and 30 girls. Dr. Abraham, adverting to the re-
port, contended that the court would be wanting
in its duty to the public in this very serious mat-
ter if it did not publish the names of tho persons
from whom the diseased and putrid meat in ques-
tion had been seized. Dr. Letheby, at his request,
ran over the names of those persons, some 30 in
number, but it was afterwards elicited by Mr. H.
Lowman Taylor, from Newman, one of the inspec-
tors of meat to the commission, that several of the
persons froth whom the meat was taken had, of
their own motion, last week, and on several pre-
vious occasions, called his attention to diseased or
putrid meat in their possession, and that it was upon
their voluntary statements that he had seized it;
and upon that stite of facts Deputies Pewtress,Far-
rar, Harrison, Davis, Alderman Dakin, Mr. Sim-
monds, and other members of the commission, sub-
mitted that it would be cruel to publish the names
of the salesmen implicated in the matter from, per-
haps, no fault of their own, but from the inno-
cent recipients of diseased meat sent them from the
country by persons who were the really guilty par-
ties, and which salesmen, moreover, had them-
selves, on finding that part of the meat forwarded
to them was diseased, come voluntarily forward
and given notice of the fact to the inspectors. This
argument appeared to meet with the general
assent of the Court, and the more so on the in-
spector being further questioned, it was matter
for doubt whether some of the salesmen had actu-
ally exposed for sale the meat which was taken from
them in consideration of its diseased or putrid
condition. Mr. H. Lois man Taylor contended
that those who sent up diseased animals for sale in
London were most to blame, and that it was they
whom the Court ought to punish: Alderman
Dakin submitted that a publication of n ames should
only follow a legal conviction for the offence of ex-
posing for sale meat unfit for human food. Dr.
Abraham reminded the Court that this practice
had been going on for years in the city markets ;
that week after week Dr. Letheby had called their
attention to it, and that it was only when a publi-
cation of names was suggested that all that morbid
sympathy for the offenders was exhibited by some
members of the commission. Dr. Letheby had
more than once told them that diseased meat in
large quantities was regularly sold in the city
markets at a penny a pound to poor people ; and
he (Dr. Abraham) contended it was a duty incum-
bent on the Court in this matter to protect a class
of the community who were powerless to protect
themselves. Dr. Letheby said the fact that such
large quantities of diseased meat came regularly
into the city markets from week to week showed
that there was a demand for it. On Saturday
nights it was sold to the poor at Is. for 141 b., and
he urged the Court to do what in them lay to put a
stop to such an iniquitous system. Eventually, on
the motion of Mr. IL L. Taylor, seconded by Mr.
Charles Young, it was resolved that the weekly
returns of the inspectors of meat should in future
distinguish between salesmen who themselves gave
information of meat in their possession being unfit
for
tlismade
he inspectors
ascertain
r taia the
food and those who did not, and that
shouldien nalaino o cases
sf
which
sender,
e seizurew ith
se
the ' a, prosecution, view to in
nthe
ton, and if it was refused, to
report the fact in r weekly' tl •returns. The
Court then adjourned.
ld

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