The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-05-06

The Mosaic Way OF butcherlns.
A mode Of butchcring ancient unr
ique, supported by a large class, ana TOT
which those who sanction Il claim
great advantages, is in vogue m en-
cinnati, and in most great cities.
Hanging out i'm front OF ccrtain' meat
store is a card on which are Hebrew
letters. Ii announces koschner, which
is meat butchered and inspected af-
ter the manner prescribed first by
Moses, the great Hebrew lawgiycr,
then modified to the present mode
nearly two thousand years ago. There
is in its preparation no longer any re-
ligiopS meaning. 1t is sanitary
measure, pure and simple-nothing
less, and not a whit more. A Hebrew
I rabbi sets apart man called aShocli-
ct Cor as many as are required) to kill
animals. He has this exclusive duty.
His is distinct Office or profession.
He must undergo an examination, and
obtain certificate of qualification,
This done, he must be supplied with
his implements. For slaughtcring
cattle this is knife with blade about
eighteen inches long and one and a
quarter broad. In shape it resembles
| a tbin-bladed corn-cutter. 1t is Of
| the purest silver steel. No spot or
blemish is permitted to stain its burn
ished surface. The edge must be
1 sharp, keen and unbroken by the.
minutcst nick~ One of the qualifi.
cations of a shochetis the skill to
keep his knife inOrtler. Any butcher
who Wishes TO sell koschner must Elm.
ploy q shochet 10 be present at the
slaughtcring, and to slay, inspect and
/ seal the meat. He travels a sort of
circuit, which includes several slaugh-
ter-houses. His compensation is per
capita, and is paid by the butchers. I
Let us take look at this officer mp
on the duties of his Office. He steps
into a slaugbter-hOuse, bearing with
him his knife. inclosed in a long
wooden box. The victim for slaugh.
| Ter is driven in. Ii it DC bullock,
or a large animal, a running moose is
thrown around one hind leg. In this
moose hook is placed, which tcrmi-
mates rope which swings down from
an axle placed high over. head. By
means of ropes and pulleys the animal
is suspended in the air, except the
head, which rests OIL the floor, throat
upward. The shochet approaches
with drawn knife, with his left hand
he lays hold of the animals throat.
With peculiar saving sweep, exc
cuted too rapidly to be followed by
the eye, his right hand lays the ami
mails neck open nearly to the cervical
yerterbra. The animal is left to
bleed. The mode of the stroke is.
prescribed even to the number of
sweeps of the blade. A stroke is not
permitted for the reason that it is be-
lieved 10 prevent the freest flow of
the blood, which is the chief object to
be attained. The next duty of the
shochet is to examine the lungs of the
animal. If these are grown together
on to the sides, or are in any way dis.
eased, the animal is rejected and an.
other one is brought TO the shambles.
If the lungs stand the test the shOch-
ct stands by and secs the bullock
essed, which affords him opportu-
nifty for further inspection. If he
finds in any part of the animal
blemish, he condemns the carcass.
His final duty is TO affix peculiar
waken seal or stamp, bearing He
! brew device, to several parts of the
dressed carcass. He is required not
on any account 10 absent himself du-
ring the dresSir. of the carcass.
| Sheep and light animals of the cat
tic kind are suspended by the heels,
and slain in the way above described.
The shochct whose duty it is to kill
poultry goes TO private houses where
his services are required. His Knife,
too must be evenly sharp, and he
must use all the precautions required
i'll the slaughter of cattle. The bird is
suspended head downward to facili-
tate the free flow of blood. The cut
ting must be according to the fOrmu-
la laid down by ancient custom. DULY
/ the throat is cut-thc head must not
be severed from the body. The officer
who does this for wealthy cOngre-
CATION, receives yearly stipend Of
! S25 to S15 from each household ac-
cording to the amount Of duty re-
CURED of him. Poor families pay five
cents, or such small sums as they can
! afford, for each bird killed for them.
The object of this mode of slaught-
ering and inspecting is twO-fold. The
animal must be slain with the great
est comfort to itself consistent with
the operation. The health of the con-
| sumner is the chief object in view of
which this method is practiced. Blood
is considered unwhOlcsOmc. In thor
oughness and adequacy no other mode
Of inspection equals this. 1t affords
certainty of securing wholesome
meat, and gives perfect protection
against being imposed upon, i'll purse
of health, by the flesh of diseased ami
mails. During the last visitation Of
thc Asiatic cholera to London, the
Hebrew population escaped almost
entirely unscathed by the scourgc,
while all other classes were falling
before it like the leaves of an autumn
forest. In crowded cities visited by
any sort of pestilence, they have en-
loved remarkable exemption from
its ravages. When the cattle plague
ragged in the Western States, only q
couple Of years ago, they enjoyed im-
munity from the effects of eating mn
sound meat. The Hebrew to-day
POUNDS his objection to the use of
pork on his regarding it as unwhole-
some. The result is almost total
escape from trichina.
Norule limits any Hebrew 10 the
nse of meat slain and inspected as We
have described. Some disregard it,
and use pork or other meats not SO i'll
spceted, but the number is small.
The greater portion cOnscicntiously
adhere to the exclusive use of kosch
ner meat. Many who are not He
prews use exclusively meat butchered
and inspected in the Hebrew manner.
| Cincinnati Gazette.
In a Tell With 4 Madman-i Fearful
Experience.