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267
[1912
to premises situate at 41, Caledonian Road, and to an objection raised to the renewal of the
licence to premises situate at the rear of 79, Stroud Green Road because no slaughtering
had been done on the premises since December, 1911. The Chairman of the Committee
expressed himself in eulogistic terms as to the satisfactory manner in which this particular
work had been carried out by Islington. The Committee accordingly refused the renewal
of this licence, thus reducing the total to 28.
The total number of visits paid to slaughterhouses during the year was 1,599, and
as a whole they have been well conducted. During the first quarter, however, a slaughterhouse,
now seldom used, had been seriously neglected as regards general cleanliness, and
had been used for the storage of various articles not required in the conduct of such
premises. The licencee was warned that unless the premises were kept so as to be ready at
all times for the conduct of slaughtering, opposition to the renewal of the licence would be
lodged with the County Council. An improvement in the conduct of these premises has
since been noted.
During the fourth quarter, I was accompanied by Chief Inspector Leggatt on the
occasion of the annual inspections, always made prior to the renewal of the licences, when
slight defects to floor joints, etc., were noted and remedied in due course; the general
sanitary condition being again satisfactory.
The number of animals slaughtered was as follows, viz.:—
Oxen Calves Sheep and Lambs Goats Pigs Total
1,085 40 29,310 Nil Nil 30,435
as compared with the year 1911:—
Oxen Calves Sheep and Lambs Goats Pigs Total
1,448 73 38,001 8 Nil 39,530
It will thus be seen that there was a further reduction in the number of animals
slaughtered of 363 oxen, 33 calves, 8,691 sheep and lambs, and 8 goats, making a total of
9,095 less than that of the previous year.
The principal reason for this decrease, I believe to be due to a general reduction in
the amount of live stock throughout the country and the restrictions on the movement of
cattle during a considerable portion of the year owing to the prevalence of foot and mouth
disease in various parts of the kingdom, causing a marked increase in prices. More than
half of the reduction in the number of sheep slaughtered is accounted for by one firm
alone who slaughter for the wholesale market, which is proof of the general shortage.
The quality and condition of the animals generally was again of the highest order,
in fact it would be impossible to find the same number of private slaughterhouses in any
part of the country where a better class of meat was killed.
Only 4 cases of bovine tuberculosis were found, and happily none of these were so
generalised as to necessitate the destruction of the entire carcase, and in one case only was
the affection sufficiently advanced to necessitate the rejection of a small portion of the
carcase.
Further particulars regarding these and also various other abnormal conditions
found, principally due to parasite affections or accidental circumstances, will be seen in
Table "A," which follows. I am glad to report that the practice of blowing meat by the
mouth of the slaughterman, to which I have referred on several occasions, is less frequent,
although not entirely abolished, and I have recently noticed that posters are exhibited at