American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1827-12-04
WILMINGTON, Del. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4. 1927.

some of which are always deeterious to the human
constitution, while others are hurtful only at par
ticular seasons
The use Of skins as articles Of dress, is nearly
co.eval with our race. With the progress of civil
izaton the fur itself is used, or the feathers. af
ter having been subjected to II variety of tedious
and frequently complicated processes. Besides
the hair OF quadrupeds, and the feathers of birds
used as clothing, variety of products Of the AMI
NAL Kingdom. as bone, shells, pearls, and corals
are employed as ornaments Of dress, in all coul,.
tries, however different in their degree Of ciyiliza-
| ton
Medicine. The more efficient products of the
mineral kingdom have in the progress Of the
medical art in great measure superseded the
milder remedies furnished by animals and yegeta.
bles. The blisterAy, however, still remains with
out rival; and the eech is often resorted to,
when the lancet can be of no avail.
The arts. The increase of the wants of civilized
lite calls tor fresh exertions to supply them, and
the animal kingdom still continues to furnish CO.
pious source of materials for the arts. Each class
presents its own peculiar Offering, and the stores
which yet remain to be investigated appear mex
haustlble.
Of the Modes Of killing .qnimals
The mode Of killing animals has considerable
effect IN the flesh IF the animal Most OF those
slaughtered for food either bled to death, or
are bled profusey Immediately after being deprived
Of life in some other way. The common mode of
killing cattle in this kingdom is, by striking them
in the forehead with pole-axe and then cutting
their Threats to bleed them But this method is
cruel, and not free from danger The animal IS
not always brought down by the first blow, and the
repetition is difficult and uncertain, and if the ami
NAL be not very well secured, accidents may hap.
pen. Lord Summervie General Surrey of the
agriculture Of Shropshire. By Joseph Plymley, NJ.
\. 8vo London. lsO5, p 24s,) therefore, endeayor-
ed to introduce the method of pithing or laying
cattle, by dividing the spinal marrow above the
origin Of the phrenic nerves, as is commonly prac-
tised in Barbary, Spain. Portugal, Jamaica, and in
some parts Of England and Jackson says, that the
. best method Of killing bullock, is BY thrusting
sharp pointed knife into the spinal marrow, when
the bullock will Immediately fall without any strus-
gle; then cut the arteries about the heart" Re
Elections IN the Commerce Of the Mediterranean, by
John Jackson, F. 8. A. svo. London. 1904, D. el)
Although the operation Of pithins is not difficult
but it may, with some practice, be performed with
tolerable certainty and although Lord Somerville
took man with him to Portugal to be instructed
in the method, and made it a condition that the
prize cattle at his exhibitions should be pithed in
stead OF being knocked down, still pthing is not
becoming general in Britain. This may be partly
owing to prejudice; but we have been told that
the flesh of the cattle killed in this way in Portu-
gal is very dark, and becomes soon putrid, proba.
oily from the animal not bleeding we'll, in colise
quence of the action Of the heart being interrupted,
before the vessels of the neck are divided. 1t
therefore seems preferable to bleed the animal to
death directly, as is practsed by the Jew butch
ers.
Da Cards observations on pitling, deserve at
tenton. This gentleman, surgeon of the Shrews-
bury Infrmary, after mature consideration. is
against the practice, as causing more pain than it
is intended to avoid. He saws, Pain and action
are so generally Joined, that we measure the de-
gree OF pain by the loudness Of the cries, and yio
ence of the consequent exertion and therefore
conclude, on seeing two animals killed, that the
one which makes scarcely struggle. though II may
continue to breathe suffers less than that which is
more violently conyulsed, and struggles till life is
exhausted. 1t appears, however. that there may
be acute pain without exe ton. perhaps certain
y as there is action without pain even distor-
tons, that at the first glance would seem to proceed
from pain, are not always really accompanied with
sensation. To constitute pain there must be
communication between the injured organ and the
brain.''
In the old method Of slaashter;ng, a concussion
Of the brain takes place, and therefore the power
Of feeling is destroyed. The animal drops, and
although commissions take place generally longer
and more violent than when the spinal marrow is
divided, yet there is, think, reason 10 believe
that the animal suffers less pain. The immediate
consequence of the blow is the dilatation Of the
pupil Of the eye, without any expression Of CON
seriousness or fear on the approach Of the hand.
From all these circumstances, Du Gard CON
cludes that the method Of Strengthening cattle X
more painful than the DID, The puneture Of the
medulIa spinais does not destroy feeling though il
renders the body quiescent, and in this state the
animal both endures pain at the punctured part.
and suffers, as it were, second death, from the
pain and faintness from loss Of blood in cutting
the throat, which is practised IN both methods.