The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-08-30

ton said several members Of said Board
of Health at q meeting thereof, made
report on the condition of said slaugh
ter houses, in slbsFsnce towlt:
DR.. George Ct. Craig reported to said
meeting that he found said slaughter
houses IN condition which he desig
mated improper; that there is a custom
of feeding hogs on the entrails and offal
of slaughtered cattle; this refuse matter
owing to the hot weather is horrible,
some Of it a mass of msggots. Il is
improper that hogs designated for
human consumption should be fed On
suoh corrupt matter; that be hsd been
informed thst at the slaughter house of
John Dietz, a COW having tumor had
been killed for beef, and that last win
ter calls skin showing by the feet
that the calf had never been born,
had been seen hanging up there; that
the health of the people demanded that
the evil Of filthy slaughter houses and
the possibility Of diseased meat should
be summarily dealt With, that he be,
lIered the simplest and most effectuai
plan would be for the city to establish
slaughter house, license butchers and
compel them 10 use it, and appoint an
inspector whose duty it should be TO
pass upon all cattle before they are
killed, aud compel the removal of all
refuse matter before it has time 10 be-
come decomposed.
DR.. Garter reported that the reality
had been understated-they were in a
dIsgustingly filthy condition; some of
the hogs seen seeding on the ofal, had
tumors hanging from the abdomen, the
outgrowth probably Of some disease
which affects the animals. 1t is I'll.
doubtedly dangerous ior people 80 eat
the flesh of hogs fed in this manner.
Diseases Can be transmitted or Propa-
gated, particularly consumption and
scroiulous affections from eating such
meat. The only adequate remedy he
could suggest would be city slaughter
house where cleanliness could be rigidly
enforced; that something ought to oe
done and soon. if only it be the sp-
pointDent of inspectors, and yet it
would take so many to keep watch of
the private scattered slaughter houses
that one common slaughter house would
be the best and most economical.
DR.. Bsrth reported in favor of the
slaughter house on the river bank
where plentiful water supply could be
had by using steam pump and the re.
fuse could readily be discharged; what
was required was preventation and not
punishment and that an ordinance
simply fixing penalty was inadequate
to accomplish the desired end.
That cheap building would answer
all purposes and did not doubt that ell
the butchers would be glad to cooperate
in such move. They we're at the expense
now of maintaining separate slaughter
houses with inadequate facilities and IS
the license or rental would probably be
even less than their present slaughter
house expenses, aside from the mere
killing, there was no honest reason why
they should not gladly CO. operate witt
the Board in instituting this needed
reform.
William q. Lundy, Alderman, slst
reported that it was matter of gres
too promptly. 1t was second emer
| gency. If the city could make an ez
J travagant expenditure for the one,
+ certainly could for the other. Healt
was of more Importance than property
I that the city should lease suitabl
3 ground, put up good substantia
+ building and charge such rental 8
= would pay the interest on the invest
3 ment and all costs of maintenance an
I inspection.
3 Whereupon said Board of Health 6
q its said meeting decided to refer tt
o matter to the City Council in shaI
4 suitable TO. immediate action and d.
4 PENDANTS aver that such action SO take
Q by said Board OF Health was done sole
Il ly in the interest of the health {
Il said city and was q strong induc
o mert to said city to build said publ
It slaughter house, but as further induc
n ment thereto these defendants aver TIL
is at meeting of special committee
d the City Council of said city duly 81
d pointed, on or about the 9Th day
% August, A. D. 1880, to investigate ce
10 tain complaints relative to the ma
70 sgement and condition of the slsught
d house of one J. Deitz, 1t was shown
n the City Council that the whole bull
4, ing was in filthy condition; that
II front of it va 3 mass Of intestines
IN high as the desk of the Council roc
g. and within the mass was the body of
lg unborn calf, so nearly matured that
ut was covered with hair; at the mass
I'd hog was feeding, having two tumo
y, hanging down and that there we're 9th
1e hogs about the premises. It was 81
q, shown that COW so sick that it cou
or hardly get along had been cleaned a
to qusrtered there.
at Il was also sscertaiDed that cattle We
n. put in pens at the slaughter house a
be kept without food for several days
of was also ascertained that the COW viii
RS bore the calf which was found in
Ne offsl, had been killed and the meat 81
he for food