Connecticut western news., 1873-02-14
NO. 31.
Diseased Meat in New York.

i Bergh, the man who looks after the animals of New York city, says of the | infectious mutton business: According to the report of my own agent there are 1000 sheep slaughtered in the city of New York weekly; from 500 to 2,OO0 of which are killed by each butcher This number, although formidable, is considerably increased by the very &C., curate statistics of Miss Morgan, the talented and reliable general reporter for the stock yards of this country, who gives the number at 23,000. Now, of this vast number of animals, of one race only, killed for human food, 60 per cent. are ewes, 90 per cent. of which are pregnant with from one to four lambs, and cases often occur where the lamb is born while the mother is being slaught- cred, or more frequently "the lamb bag," as it is termed, is ripped open by the butcher and the infants taken out, which have been known to survive some four months thereafter and ultimately to be served as food. In order to give an idea of this criminal and revolting practice of sending ewes to market by farmers, in the condition alluded to- it is positively asserted that there are more lamb fetus received at the rendering dock of New York city than there are sheep killed!
 Bear in mind that this is the food furnished by one race of animals only, and from my own personal observation the beef, the veal, the pork, and even the poultry, though ill a less degree, e<fatally tainted by the inhuman bar barities inflicted on them in the abat- toirs and during their transportation to market over railroads and otherwise. That all these and other still more hideous and disgusting features of our animal food exist is well known, yet, strange to say, the public, who are the consumers of this foul stuff, are reluc- tant even to hear of them, and the State Legislature refuses to provide remedies.
 have applied yearly to the last three Legislatures, and now again to this, for the passage of an act, which I have prepared, tending to thorough reform in this particular but that gigantic and continually augmenting power in this country, the Railroad despotism, has smothered alllegislation on the sub ject. I have repeatedly appeared be- | fore the judiciary committees of this State to urge this bill, containing also a provision which, if adopted and carried into effect, would insure healthful food to our whole population; but this, too, has been denied on the erroneous as- sumption that it is unconstitutional-I mean the appointment of inspectors of living animals destined for human food. It is all in vain that have shown by the constitution itself that the appoint ment of such officials is authorized by that instrument-the offending clause has been stsicken out, and the pesti- lential fesh-food still corrupts our bodies. There are inspectors of rum, tobacco, and various other substances which the world would be better with out, while we are refused similar pro- lection from poisonous flesh. This apathy on the part of the people leave you to account for if you can to me it is profound mystery. Moreover, the dreadful cruelties inflicted on food animals previous to and during their slaughter, which all physiologists de- clare tend to the deterioration of the flesh, and which I have striven long to prevent, are frustrated by the iniunc- tions of magistrates issued on applica- tion of the merciless butchers them selves. am your obedient servant.
 HENRY BERaH.