New-York tribune., 1910-01-02
BERLIN'S GREAT ABATToIR.
Humane Methods of Killing Animals
for Food in German Canital

Consul General Thackara writes that all
animals intended for food purposes in the
city Of Berlin must by German law and
municipal and police regulations be slaugh-
tered in the municipal abattoirs under the
strictest police and veterinary surveillance.
Mr.. Thackara describes their operation as
follows:
Only the most humane methods of killing
the animals are permitted to be used, and
the utmost attention must be paid to clean
liness and to the prevention of infection
in all the various operations. The Berlin
abattoir, located in the northern part OF
the city, was built in 1881 at cost of over
S.250,000. and covers an area of nearly one
hundred and fifteen acres. 1t is regarded
as one of the model institutions of it's kind
in Germany, one In which the most modern
hygienic methods are used.
The abattor is divided into two sections
the cattle market and railway station on
the east and the slaughter yards and
houses on the west. In the cattle market
section there are sheep, cattle and hog
stalls, the exchange, various sheds in which
the cattle are sold, sheds for isolating ami
mails which are either infected or are un-
der suspicion, 'disnfecting plant, etc. In
the railway station there are various tracks
and platforms, where four cattle trains OF
fifty-nine cars each may be unloaded or
loaded simultaneously.
The slaughter yards contain the police
slaughter house, where animals which are
III or suspected and have been rejected by
the veterinary officials are killed by the
police butchers under the direction of the
veterinaries; hall for the sale of meat
three cattle slaughter houses, administra-
tion buildings for the officials of the abat-
ffir~
logical museum and the municipal meat
examination department. There are fur
ther an institution for the preparation of
lymph slaughter houses for calves and
sheep, with the necessary stalls for small
animals, cooking and sterilizing depart
ment, kitchens for trying out fat and MAX
ing tallow, albumen factory, plant for
making margarine, one for cleaning bris-
ties, etc. In the section for killing hogs
there are three hog yards with room for
10000 hogs, five slaughter houses, boiler
mouse cold storage plant a building for
the microscopic examination of meat, etc.
In 1868 the sale of cattle and other ami
malS amounted to nearly $55.0010G0. The
number of animals slaughtered in that
year was as follows: 1929 cattle, 166 100
calves, 464,364 sheep, sf46l2 hogs and u, $50
horses.
In the municipal meat inspection depart
ment 657 persons were employed, including
sstant veterinary surgeons, IA section
perintendents for the trichina department,
20 assistant superintendents, 121 male and
10 female miCroscopistS, etc.
or the animals slaughtered in 1905 in 2373
cases the entire bodies were found to be
unfit, for food. in 3S9,6SS cases the parts
which were not affected were allowed to be
used; 3,l42 animals were declared under cer-
tam conditions fit for food and the meat from
o,oco animals was reduced in price as being
inferior in value for food. Trichnosis was
found in 90 cases. in SO of which the whole
. a rnin Tod. in
cases the meat was declared to be fit for
use under certain restrictions. tuberculosis
was found in 2S,917 steers out of $1,000;
1926 bullocks out of 39.643; s,124 cows out
of 1880: 1913 calves over three months old
out of 165,7S1; 41,097 pigs out of 9S2, ,119; rs
sheep. out of 477,370 and 1 goat out of 1870
examined. Actinomyoss was found, in the
case of 19104 examined, In sheep
The department for infectious diseases
has its own railway track. five stalls and
three slaughter houses Animals are taken
there from districts where infectious dis
eases are prevalent or from the cattle yard
when suspected by the police veterinary
surgeons of being infectious.