View report page

217 [1904
Animals Slaughtered.—From the returns procured by the inspector,
its appears that, apart from the Cattle Market, at Caledonian Road, which
is under the supervision of the Corporation of the City of London, 35,516
animals were slaughtered in Islington, of which
2,360 were oxen.
4 „ cows.
154 „ calves.
32,973 „ Sheep and lambs.
25 .. Pigs
as compared with 40,895 animals killed in the preceding year. This decrease
°f 5>379 was made up by the lesser slaughter of 85 oxen, 169 cows, 5,117 sheep
and lambs, and 21 pigs. There were, however, 13 more calves killed.
There can be no doubt that the falling off in the number of animals
slaughtered in the borough has been due to the severe supervision to which
the slaughter-houses are now subjected, which has resulted in a decrease in the
killing of inferior animals and consequently an improvement in the character
the meat supply. This is well evidenced in the case of the slaughter of old
cows, of which there were only 4 killed during the year. At one time Islington
was a favourite locality in which to slaughter them, and to dispose of their
carcases but this is now a thing of the past, for which there can be no regret,
because such animals are generally affected with tuberculosis.
Slaughter Houses.—The number of slaughter-houses in the borough
number 40, which is the same as in 1903. They were all visited by
the Medical Officer of Health in September in view of the L.C.C. licensing
sessions, and were found in a very satisfactory state. They were also visited
2,242 times by the Inspector.
The Slaughter of Cattle. —The Inspectorvery properly draws attention
in his report to the incompetence of a slaughterman to fell an animal with the
poll-axe after three attempts, so that he felt compelled to take the instrument
from the man's hands and give the coup de grace to the ox. This paragraph
in his report naturally suggests the question as to whether the most humane
methods of slaughtering are practised by butchers in this country. This was
the subject of investigation made by a committee appointed by the Admiralty
who were ordered to consider " the humane slaughtering of animals," and who