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all cases of pigs intended for export in lightly salted condition (bacon) will have to be stamped, while freshly killed.,
with the prescribed mark which has to be applied on three places, fore end, middle and gammon, as indicated :
[Method of stamping indicated.]
The mark is to be applied by the inspector himself or in his presence, and on his responsibility. The mark is to be put
on in colour (red ink). The inspector has to see that the mark is plainly and boldly put on.
It will be noted that this Order only applies to lightly salted bacon, but there can be little doubt
that the system will eventually be extended to all Danish meat intended for export.
Dr. Buchanan's conclusion that, under a system of marking, the butcher who slaughters in a
private slaughterhouse is at a disadvantage compared with the butcher, who is able to slaughter
under conditions where the meat is subjected to systematic inspection, is undoubtedly true. In this
connection, he points to a report which was before the County Council in 1898, in which was advocated
the slaughter of animals in public slaughterhouses and the stamping of the meat therein, as well as that
which would be brought to inspection stations, and says " establishment of such inspection stations,
together with marking of meat there inspected, would go far to remove the disadvantage to the home
producer to which I have referred, and to enable carcases of tuberculous pigs to be dealt with on
uniform lines throughout the metropolis."
In the meantime, it is interesting to observe that the proportion of home grown meat, as
compared with foreign grown meat, which finds its way into the Central Meat Market has continually
decreased. Dr. Collingridge states that " the returns furnished by the superintendent of the market
continue to show an increasing ratio of imported to home grown supplies. In 1896 the proportions
were nearly equal, but last year the amount of foreign produce was about three times as large as that
of British," and he adds that "this will probably continue so long as the present low prices can be
profitably accepted for meat grazed on the Australian downs, the South American pampas, and the
Canadian prairies. These advantages are at present driving the home producer altogether out of the
race, while the excellent quality of this imported meat shows that the growers oversea can not
only undersell the English farmer in his own market, but can also produce an equally good article."
There is now probability thatby the extension of the system of slaughtering under conditions which
provide for inspection and of the stamping of meat which has passed this inspection, some foreign
countries will offer to the consumer in this country inducements to purchase meat which has been
inspected abroad instead of home produced meat of which the greater proportion is supplied to the
consumer without any systematic inspection and indeed, often without any inspection at all.
The annual reports of medical officers of health show the amount of food diseased or unsound
seized in the several distiicts. In the City, where are situated the Central Markets, 2,128 tons, 9 cwts.
and 2 qrs. of meat were seized of which 167 tons, 14 cwts., and 3 qrs. were diseased,
and in the Billingsgate Market 674 tons, 3 cwts. and 2 qrs. of fish were condemned.
In respect of seizures of diseased meat there were 12 convictions, the average fines and expenses
amounting to £30, one of the defendants who had been previously convicted being sentenced to imprisonment
for three months. In Finsbury, where the "outside market" is situated, 94 tons of meat
were confiscated, of which 30 tons were diseased, and there were nine convictions- Among the defendants
was a sausage maker who was found using the flesh of pigs from some of which the glands had been
removed before delivery, as well as the flesh of one or more pigs, proved to be tuberculous. Other articles
of food were seized including rabbits, eggs, fruit, vegetables, etc. In Islington more than 1½ tons of
meat were seized, of which 14 cwts. were found in the slaughterhouses; other articles of food seized
included fish, fowls, fruit, vegetables, etc. Large quantities of unsound food, largely tinned food, was
seized in Stepney in which river wharves are situated, the total seizures and surrenders amounting to
over 232 tons. In Poplar, it is stated that, over 4,000 tins of preserved food were
surrendered, in Bermondsey nearly 4½ tons of various tinned foods brought to the wharves were
destroyed, and in Southwark there were destroyed nearly 30 tons of food stuffs—mostly arriving at
the wharves. In both of the latter districts effort was made to secure the destruction of a large
amount of coffee which had been submerged in the Thames owing to the sinking of a ship of which it
formed the cargo. In the City upwards of 173 tons of food stuffs removed from the wharves were
destroyed. In Westminster the food destroyed included upwards of 3,000 tins of preserved food,
besides large quantities of vegetables and fruit, and two heads and one carcase of tuberculous pigs.
In Poplar, about 40,000 lbs. of fruit pulp was seized from a factory and an associated store and
condemned. It was intended to convert the pulp into jam, but after the conviction of the defendant
the factory was closed. In this district also several pigs' heads were destroyed. In Hackney, over 2
tons of unsound food was seized, of which more than half consisted of meat including a number of
heads of tuberculous pigs. Rabbits were condemned in Bethnal-green, Shoreditch, Finsbury, Wandsworth,
Camberwell, Deptford and Chelsea, mostly in large quantities. Dr. Parkes states that the
rabbits destroyed in Chelsea were purchased in the Smitfiheld Market in October, by a costermonger,
and found to be in a "spotted condition." They were part of a consignment which arrived in London
from Australia in May and had been kept in cold storage since that time. The appearances found were
probably due to post-mortem changes, and as Dr. Parkes points out" further information is required
as to what is the effect of these long periods of cold storage on such articles of food as rabbits, poultry
and fish." In this connection it may be pointed out that Dr. Hamer, as the result of his inspection of
cold stores in 1904 (see Appendix I. to the Annual Report for the year 1904), came to the conclusion
that there is need of extension of knowledge with regard to the effect of cold storage on perishable
foodstuffs. Seizures and surrenders of various articles of food were made in most, if not all, other