The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-12-25

THE SLAUGHTER OF ANIMALS FOR FooD.
There are certain facts concerning the kill
ing Of, the animals which form SO large q
portion of our food, that should be known
to every meat buyer, if not meat eater, be-
cause they affect the condition OF the meat,
its hcalthfullness and keeping qualities Our
own attention has been particularly direct
ed to the subject of opening an immense
slaughter house near the city of New York,
by capitalists and butchers of Chicago. The
new AJuttoir is, in fact, a regular slaughter
house for all kinds of animals, on a larger
scale than any existing there.
4 The old-fashioned way Of killing becves
was to knock them in the head with pole
AK, then cut their threats, and while bleed
ing commence skinning and singing up by
the hind legs. Our butchers were slow to
learn of the Jews, who practiced throwing
and singing the animal and then cutting its
throat, and in this way securing the most
perfect possible bleeding, and following the
Mosaic command, the blood thereof. which
is the life thereof, shalt thou not eat" Our
butchers are now following very similar
practice, modifying it by hitting the beast
mercitul rap now and then on the head, to
destroy the consciousness In this way the
| beef bleeds better, as all the blood of the
| hind quarters at least tends to the throat
/ There is serious objection to knocking
beeves in the head. The shock to the nerv-
Gus system IS such as to cause tremor and
rigidity in the muscles, although it is the
part of humanity to put the poor beasts as
soon as possible in condition of uncon-
seriousness. But this is a serious hindrance
to free bleeding. European butchers have
long practiced what is called "pricking
down" and this has also been done or rath-
er tried, in this country. 1t consists in driv-
ing narrow knife blade, by an instantane-
Gus motion between the head and the first
vertebra, piercing the spinal marrow. This
destroys all sense, and paralyzes all the mus
Giles of the body. leaving them soft and flex-
iblc When an animal Is in this condition,
it must he slung up by the hind legs at once
when the blood will flow quite as freely as
if the animal were conscious. This method
therefore, combines the excellence of the
Hebrew way and the humanity of the old
knocking down process.
When an animal is killed during or soon
after a fright or a great heat aud exhaustion
it rarely bleeds we'll, the meat is blat,dy and
feverish; it soon spells, and is besides un-
healthy. Whether the paroxysm of fear
which occurs when the animal is suddenly
in full consciousness, slung by one or botl
HAD legs. and which lasts until it dies, has
any bad effect upon the meat, physicians
must determine. The superiority Of the
pricking down process is so evident that We
think it ought always to be followed. II
was not practiced at the new Abattoir,
though the killing there was done very ex-
peditiously, and the beef looked exceedingly
welL-1griculturaI Reuieo
/ JUDGE BUxToN-We are glad to see back
at home his Honor, Judge R. r. Buxton
who has been for the past two or three
months absent on his judicial circuit in The
western part of the State. He is looking ir
coed health.
Judge Buxton holds the special term O
Bladen county Superior court, which met or
lwesterdays alsa, OF Halifax county, On Mon
day, Jan. 6.
/ Judge Barnes will hold the special term O
Cumberland county Superior Court on Mon
day, Jan. FayctteoiHe Ne,ns.