The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-04-23
DR.. steuart ON slaughter houses.

In . recent interview on the suhjest Of the
slaughter houses whish surround Baltimore city,
DIR. Jas. A. Steuart, Health Comn,issiencr, said
~ have been for the past seven years q steady
advocate for their banishmrnt, not only from the
city, bot from the suburbs we'll. They are q
nuisance Of the very WORT kind and very detri-
mental 20 health. The blood or bloody water
wastings Of slaughter houses IL necessarily one Of
the most prolific causes Of Eymotic diseases that
can possibly be found anywhere. One Of the things
the water from the blood, after Il has been washed
into the gutter or sewer at considerable distance
from the slaughter houses. The water passes on
or evaporates, and the blood, having coagulated,
this blood, being exposed for many hours 20 high
temperatnre-to the sun In many places and close
heat In others-generates bacteria and spores Of
all kinds, which arc the foundation or cause Of
disease. .4t lf
''Thsy are blown out BY the winds which force
out sewer gaseJ and are only preceptible by their
odors. II, however, we had microscopic eyes, and
could see these living organisms In the atmosphere
which We breathe, We would DO appalled, At the
danger that every resident IL exposed 20.
"The butcher claims that no keeps bis place
clean and calls attention 10 the immaculate neat
ness Of his surroundings. but those at distance
from him are the ones that suffer. That 10 where
the mischief Is done. Tho unsuspecting resident
Of several blocks away, half mile or . mile per-
haps, has TO live over an open inlet out Of which
the offensive efiuvia 10 pouring. This poisonous
odor which the butcher has got rid Of By washing
his slaughter house Il carried away by water 70 DO
saddled upon his neighbour.
"But 10 begin with specifications: The butchers
who live upon jenkins lane, north Of Greenmount
Cemetery and north ALEC Of Boundary avenue, send
all their oeai. their blood washings and vast
amount Of entraiis and iivers into Jsnkins's run,
which flows into Jones's Falls At or near the site
Of the old Belvidere bridge. Tho part OF this run
which 10 open near Boundary avenue on both sides
and the part which is open down near the Fails
Itself send out the most terrible odors and have
smo.. ruined q: ..las q which has been
hundred houses have been damaged 20 the extent
Of thousands Of dollars In value both as property
and as residences. The same thing exists on the
west side Of the city, coming from the butchers
Pennsylvania avenue extended. They sweep their
blood water oifal into Silver Spring Run, which
passes by Baker's Circle, at the head Of Fulton
avenue, into the Chatsworth Run, and on down
through Chatsworth Run sewer away 20 Spring
Gardens, throwing out at every inlet the stencil
which arises from decomposing animal matter"
On the subjecc Of ''abattoirs" DR.. Stewart said
snow, In all other cities whore the abattoir system
has been adopted tho same battie-royal has been
fought over with the same class OF butchers. They
are under the impression that Il Is against their
interest. whilst experience has proven otherwise
with all those forced into It. They have abattoirs
In Chicago, Boston, New York and in Phiadel-
phia, and they were blind TO their own interests
In opposing the system rs long as they did. In
Chicago the first year after the establishment Of
the abattoirs the company realized <l60,000 out
Of what had before been thrown away, and the
profits continued 10 increase from that time u this.
In abattoirs they don't let any thing be washed
away. and even the hoors are scrapcd, so that not
n single drvp Of blood Is lost. II Is too valuable
10 loose. The butchers hereabouts don't know
what they are wasting. II they only knew their
own interests they would at once form an abattoir
company. II ought to be done by them and not
by outsiders, and Il Is they who should derive the
profits.
"Of course, 1 understand that the butchers have
property invested and u 10 only natural they should
fight for il. They should be compensated for any
public improvement and convenience Of this kind,
and would be the last man In the world to deny
them their rights"