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1904]
228
INSPECTOR WILKINSON'S REPORT.
Public Health Department.
Town Hall,
Upper Street, N.
April, 3rd, 1905.
To A. E. Harris, Esq.,
Medical Officer of Health.
Dear Sir,
I have pleasure in submitting my report on the inspection of meat, slaughter-houses,
cowsheds, &c., for the year ending December 31st, 1904.
The number of slaughter-houses has remained unchanged durine the year, although
objections to two of them were offered by the Inspector of the London County Council at their
Annual Licensing Meeting in October last; but they were not successful, the Council
deciding to renew the whole of the 40 existing licences, 7 of which were transferred to fresh
tenants.
The bye-laws and regulations by which they are governed have been generally well
observed; in some eight instances infringement of some of these having been noted, five of
which were as to carelessness in the collection and disposal of blood, and the remainder for
non-observance of the periodical limewhiting regulations.
In one instance I had to complain of the incompetence on a slaughterman who failed at
three attempts to fell an animal with the poleaxe, whereupon I took the axe and brought it
down myself, afterwards complaining of the incompetence to the licensee, and requesting him
in future to personally supervise the killing of all bovines, and in no case allow his servant
to deal more than one unsuccessful blow to any animal, but to stand in readiness himself for
any such emergency. He thanked me for the information and suggestion, which has been
since carried out. I am pleased, however, to find that such cases are not the rule, but the
exception, generally speaking, the humane treatment of animals being well recognised. In
each of the foregoing instances a verbal notice regarding the provisions of the bye-laws was
sufficient to effect a speedy compliance.
The number of visits paid to slaughter-houses during the year was 2,242.
The number of animals killed within the 40 slaughter-houses during the year was as
follows :—
Oxen Cows Calves Sheep and Lambs Pigs Total.
2,360 4 154 32,973 25 = 35.516
As compared with the previous year these show a decrease of 75 oxen, 169 cows, 5,117 sheep