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72
of markets and slaughter-houses, are far more stringent
and precise than in this metropolis; and it is
to be hoped that the experience gained by the present
outbreak of disease will lead to reformation in
most of these particulars. As far as the City of
London is concerned, there is a pressing necessity
for the removal of all the slaughter-houses; for, as
I have recently reported to you, they are situated
in crowded localities, where they are not only in
themselves a nuisance, but where they also encourage
offensive trades—as bone boiling, fat melting,
and gut spinning. There are fifty-eight of
these slaughter-houses in the City, and they receive
about 5,400 sheep, 1,800 beasts, 420 pigs, and 400
calves every week. All these animals must be
driven through the crowded streets, and the dung,
and blood, and offal must afterwards be carried
away. The annoyance from this is a frequent subject
of complaint, but you have little or no power
to deal with it. Outside the walls of the City the
annoyance is still greater, for there the slaughterhouses
are but rarely inspected. Often, indeed,
they are filthy in the extreme, and no restriction is
put on the slaughter and sale of diseased animals;
in fact, most of the unwholesome meat that is sold
in London is furnished from those places. Within
the City there is a daily inspection of all the
markets and slaughter-houses, and much improper