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76
never think of looking for them, and deals with
them with a rapidity and accuracy which
would be astonishing to some of the learned
persons who sit in judgment upon him.
A calculation relating to inspection of meat
at a port of entry has recently been placed
before the Court of Common Council, which
reduces it all to the standard of sheep weighing
56 lbs. each, and suggests 1,000 sheep as
being the maximum an Inspector can examine
in a day. Treating the 1,285 tons we receive
daily at Smithfield in the same way, it will
give the assumed number of sheep awaiting the
examination of the five Inspectors who are
engaged at the Central Market [the sixth being
on daily duty at Leadenhall and Aldgate] as
51,400 daily, or say 10,280 to each
Inspector. It is by no means unlikely that
something like that number of heads do
pass under their observation, as, although
the carcases of oxen and cows weigh more
than 56 lbs., there are many lambs and
pigs of much less weight, in addition to cut
pieces of meat, of poultry, and game, in
great variety.