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109
In commenting on this reply, your Medical Officer pointed out that if such
instructions were efficiently and properly carried out, any animal passed thereunder
and certified would be up to the standard qua disease laid down by the
Royal Commission on Tuberculosis; provided that the following special
instruction, signed by the Minister of Agriculture on the 18th February,
1905, were also strictly carried into effect:—
"Carcasses of pigs must not be passed for export before they are quite
"cold, and in that state have, been found perfectly firm and dry.
"Carcasses of rickety pigs must not be passed for export."
This having been added on account of the many seizures of carcasses, as
revealed by the return of the labels, together with the explanation of your
Medical Officer of Health. It was further evident that the more frequent
condemnations of carcasses from Denmark in 1904 than in 1903 was due to
the large increase in the import of Danish pork.
Striking evidence is given in the Table on page 105 of the thoroughness
with which the Danish Authorities carried out their undertaking to secure a
more careful inspection in conformity with the instruction of the Danish
Minister for Agriculture. It will be seen from this Table, that, commencing
with February, there was a marked decrease in the number of seizures of meat
imported from Denmark, when there were only 34 compared with 99 in the
previous month, the number dropped to seven in March, one in July, and
three only in the last six months of the year.
CONTROL OF BACON, &c., INTENDED FOR EXPORT FROM
DENMARK.
In a Report to the Sanitary Committee of the 28th February, 1905, the
question of importation of pork from Denmark and the system of marking
adopted in that country was dealt with at some length.
On the discussion of the same, the question having arisen as to how far the
public is protected from the risk of eating bacon that may have been made in
this country from tuberculous "green" bacon imported from Denmark, I made
full enquiries herein, when the following facts were ascertained.
Since the date of the Report referred to above the Commissioner for the
Danish Government has been good enough to send me a translation of the full
text of a despatch, referred to in the Report, from the Danish Minister of
Agriculture to Veterinary Surgeons authorised to inspect meat for export,
which I here reproduce:—
Despatch to the Veterinary Surgeons authorised to inspect Meat for Export.
The Minister of Agriculture has this day given the order that fresh
carcasses of pigs, parts of such and offal of pigs shall not be passed for
export to Great Britain if they are of rickety pigs.