Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-12-26
KILLING nome,,ic Animals.

Man in a savage state is generally an ami
NAL of prey, subsisting mainly upon the flesh
of the beasts which he kills. The further he
gets from that condition, the more be pro-
crosses in civilization and refinement, the
less he will be likely to feel the necessity of
animal food During the past 20 years the
use of other articles Of food, such as sugar,
fruits aud vegetables, has largely increased
In time these forms of food may supersede
to great extent the use of flesh but while
animals are slaughtered to be eaten, RS they
will be at least for centuries, il not forever,
their death should be made as painless as pos
sble Among the farmers of this section
cattle are generally slaughtered without in
hicting unnecessary pain, but there are many
exceptions. A butcher is not necessarily
coarse-grained cruel and brutal, though one
having these q1aliii might naturally have a
taste for butchering. We have known more
than one Of the craft that would, unless pre-
vented by his employer, put a hog in the
scalding vat while still alive, dragging him in
by hook in his mouth more than one that
seemed to delight il the piercing cries of ag-
ony that his torture drew from the poor
swine. We commend TO the attention of
farmers and others having animals to be
slaughtered the following from the American
Cultivator. 1t is especially timely at this sea
son:
more humane methods have been Intro
duced into all our leading slaughter houses in
killing animals used for food The animal TO
be slaughtered should be conducted to the
spot as quietly as possible, without the use of
goad or club, and everything calculated to
alarm should be removed. All Strengthening
premises should be kept thoroughly cleansed
from blood and offal, and no carcasses should
be allowed to hang in view. No animal should
be permitted 10 witness the death of another.
Trifng as these measures may appear, they
are IN reality of vast Importance, not only in
view of avoiding useless cruelty, but as af-
fectlng the wholesomeuess of meat for food
and the market value of the animal slauph
tered, there being no question as to the eff
fects of torture, cruelty and fear upon the
secretions and upon the fl ssh. The most hu
name and efectual way Of killing cattle is to
shoot them. One orduary-sized bullet given
at the forehead will generally prove sufficient
Calves should be stunned before they are cut.
The calf should be stunned with blow upon
the head by broad mallet or hammer aimed
at spot relatively the same as in the full.
grown animal This is TO be followed by i'm
mediate bleeding, by severing the throat at
point corresponding to the upper portion of
the windpipe, using sharp knife and doing
the work thoroughly and at once, so as to
open all the arteries and veins of the neck.
The old-time method of bleeding calves seve-
raj days before they are killed is not only in.
human, but the process Injuries the meat, in
some cases poisoning it. All suffering Just
before death Injuries the meat and sometimes
poisons it. 1t has been found that even fish
are much better when killed as soon as caught
by striking the back of the head sharply with
stick or stone. Some of our fishermen now
carry little clubs or batons for that purpose.
All wounded birds and other creatures should
be killed as speedily as possible, to prevent
injury to the meat. These facts are we'll es.
tablished by scientific authority Sheep aud
lambs should be rendered nsensible by blow
on the head, to be followed by severing the
throat, as just advised in the case of calves.
or by plunging sharp pointed knife through
the blood vessels at either side of the neck.
between the bones and tbs windpipe. The
place to be selected for blow ia the centre
of line drawn across the head about two
inches above the eyes, the brain in the sheep
occupying position posterior to what at first
sight would appear the natural one"