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106
In the Report of your Medical Officer for 1904, reference was made to some
apparent laxity of supervision on the part of the Danish Authorities over the
quality of pork intended for export to this country and labelled as having been
passed by their officials as of sound quality. The attention of the ConsulGeneral
for Denmark having been directed to the number of pigs, officially
marked as sound, coming into the City market that were found to be affected
with Tuberculosis, the following explanation was offered through the
Danish Commissioner in a letter addressed to the Town Clerk dated
20th February, 1905:—
"When you, in 1903, adopted the recommendations of the Royal
"Commission on Tuberculosis, referred to in the Report, these measures,
"as previously explained in my letter of 17th November last, were not
"generally adopted in Denmark. The unsatisfactory result of this differ"ence
in Standards in the two countries has made itself felt, and has been
"manifested to the Danish Inspection by the very system of returning
"labels. In 1903 I received seven labels, and in 1904 23 labels, from
"condemned carcasses of pigs, and of these 23 no less than 16 during
"the months of November and December. The Danish Minister of
"Agriculture, wishing to remove, as far as possible, every cause for
"complaint, has issued, on the 19th of January this year, the following
"Order:—
"'Supplement to Instruction by the Minister of Agriculture of
"'15th August, 1903, to the Veterinary Inspectors appointed to
"'control the export of meat.
"'As it has been brought to the notice of the Minister that
"'carcasses of pigs which have suffered from Tuberculosis, even in a
"'very minute degree, are condemned by English Officers of Health
"'as unfit for human food, it shall, under reference to Section 4 of
"'the Instructions issued on August the loth, 1903, from now
"'henceforth be the duty of the Veterinary Inspectors authorised to
"'inspect meat for export to retain from export to Great Britain the
"'carcass of any pig examined according to the Order of August
"'the 15th, 1903, in which, or in the organs of which, is found the
"'smallest deposit of a tuberculous nature.
"'As the removal of any part of the serous membranes in several
"'markets in England causes a suspicion that the animal in question
"'has suffered from Tuberculosis, the Veterinary Inspector shall not
"'pass for export to Great Britain any carcass of an ox or pig,
"'examined according to the said Order, from which any part of
"'pleura or peritoneum has been removed.
"'January 19th, 1905,
"'(Sign) OLE HANSEN,
"'Minister of Agriculture.
"'H. GRAM.'"