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72
Diseased Sausage Casings.—On February 15th.
Inspector Billing, in the course of his duties, met with a considerable
consignment of ox-gut, characterised by the presence of numerous
nodules in the wall cf the intestine. This material was being used
for sausage casings. On examination it appeared to be of parasitical
origin, probably the particular parasite known as (Esophagostomum
Columbianum. As it was contended that this condition was in no
wray detrimental to the quality of the material, I considered it best to
have a microscopical examination made and accordingly sent some
typical specimens to Dr. Foulerton, the Director of the Bacteriological
and Pathological Laboratories at the Middlesex Hospital. His report
was as follows —
"There is no doubt but that the guts represent cases of 'nodular disease
of the intestine,' the fullest description of which is given by Curtice. Curtice
described the disease as it occurred in sheep in the Eastern States of the United
States, and christened the parasite (Esophagostomum Columbianum (from
Columbia, where the disease principally occurred). In the guts which you
sent the embryo worm can be fairly easily demonstrated in the nodules which
I have examined, and in some of the larger nodules more than one embryo (two
or three) are present. In one of the smallest nodules I found an earlier encysted
form. I see that in the United States of America guts such as these are not used
for sausage-casing; and because of the prevalence of the disease there, some
of the States sausage-makers have to import sheeps' guts from elsewhere. And
I, personally, would not think that such disease gut should be used for sausage
making in London. I have seen similar nodules in the human large intestine,
but have not been able to demonstrate any cause for them. Theobald Smith had
previously to Curtice examined the disease in sheep, but did not discover the
cause; he apparently thought that the disease might be tuberculosis."
In accordance with this confirmation of our view, we arranged for
the confiscation of the guts, which, however, were at once withdrawn
from the market and returned to Deptford, whence they came. We
informed the authorities at Deptford, and communicated with the
various sausage makers in the Borough, warning them that in future
all such diseased material for sausage casing will be seized as unfit
for food of man, whether or not it has been "passed" in Germany or
America.
Slaughter-houses.-The following are the three slaughterhouses
now situated in Finsbury:—
14, Penton Street (cubic capacity 2,451 feet).
20, Amwell Street (cubic capacity 3,227 feet).
191, Goswell Road* (cubic capacity 1,554 feet).