Washington sentinel., 1898-05-28
PUBLIC SLAUGHTER HoUsKs AND MEAT
INSPECTION.
London Health NezOs.

One Of the most important features Of
the report just presented to Parliament
by the Royal Commission on Tuber-
culosis is the unanimous opinion ex-
pressed by the Commissioners that
private slaughter houses should be re
placed in all large towns by public abat-
toirs, under the direct control OF the
authorities; and they give the following
SOUND reasons among others:-"The
use of public slaughter houses in popu-
lous places, to the exclusion OF all private
ones, is necessary preliminary
to a uniform and equitable sys-
tenn OF meat inspection" Among
the other advantages referred 20
are greater cleanliness, more perfect
system Of fslaughtering (Which includes
more humane treatment Of the animals
killed., and more complete supervision
Of the various subsequent processes,
such as bone boiling, fat melting, and
hide cleaning, &C., as described in
Health NswS OF January ~, by DIR.
Stephen Smith, formerly President OF
the American Public Health Associa-
ton. In the course of their inquiries,
extending over nearly two years, the
Commissioners visited several Cont.
mental cities, and inspected the public
abattoirs, where they must have seen
much to impress upon them the infer
iority OF the system Of private slaughter
houses.
At Berlin, in accordance with a gen.
eral regulation made in 1868, and
supplementary decree in 1881, the civic
authorities are empo wered to establish
compulsory examination OF animals in.
tended for slauG hter. and OF meat previ.
Gus to Its being exposed for sale, The
markets and abattoirs for horned cattle,
sheep, and pigs occupy the same site,
and cover an area OGII7f hectares, equal
to nearly 60 English acres. The ar.
rangements for control, supervision, and
inspection, both OF the living ANIMALS
and of the meat after sIaughtering, are
carried out in a manner which leaves
nothing to be desired.
At Brussels il is forbidden to kill and
prepare the carcases OF ANIMALS for food
to melt coarse fat, Or to submit ofal to
different processes, except at the public
abattoir, which Is the property of the
mn nicipality. Inspection OF the meat
is irefully conducted by experts, who
aft an 0iicial stamp 70 sound meat,
viii suspected meat undergoes a closer
scrndny, and if found to be of charac.
ter likely to be injurious to health is, OF
course, destroyed. When we visited
this abattoir some years ago, we noticed
the attention given even to minor details
in drawing up the regulations. one rule
being that butchers and others employed
must not leave the premises with their
clothes stained with blood, and another
that all meats must be conveyed in prop.
erly covered carts. ANY one who has
chanced to be in the neighborhood OF
the London meat markets on busy days
will appreciate the desirabiiity OF such
rules, without the necessity Of our enter
ing into unpleasant particulars.
The public abattoir at Leipzig, which
was one Of those inspected BY the COM
missioneTs, is described in DR.. Palm
berg's treatise on Public Health in vari-
Gus European countries as a model OF
its kind; il is situated on an elevated
and airy site, with a good slope, at the
back OF the city behind the Bavarian
railway station, this position facilitating
the transport of cattle and the removal
OF refuse. Thespace occupied is Ias,ooc
square yards.
In the French capital 1t is forbidden
by law to slauG hter cattle and to prepare
the carcases for sale elsewhere than al
one OF the four abattoirs specially bull
and arranged for that purpose, which
are under the supervision Of the preiec.
ture OF police. The stringent measures
adopted by the auNsRrisies for the in
sPsetiOn OF mesa kp a number oi
private sIsaM 4 being built