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common in certain countries, though not in this. The disease is found in meat
inspection work, chiefly in imported carcases, and the lesions are discovered in the
lymphatic glands.
It is within the knowledge of your Worshipful Committee that it is an established
practice to notify the Consul-General of any country importing meat when
a carcase from that country is discovered at Smithfield Market containing lesions
of disease, which has required, either a portion, or the whole of the carcase to be
condemned. This practice is followed to enable enquiries to be made locally as
to the reason why the condition was overlooked, and does not necessarily suggest
that there has been wilful disregard of the meat inspection regulations, which form
the basis of the agreement controlling the importation of foreign carcases. It
would, however, appear to help the importing authorities to check carelessness.
Occasionally conditions are observed which suggest the desirability of some
improvement in the inspection work, and the following observations are submitted
as an illustration.
During the present year reports from the Veterinary Surgeon at Smithfield
have been forwarded to me which indicate that lesions of Caseous Lymphadenitis
are unduly prevalent among sheep carcases received from Argentina.
The total number of carcases found infected with this disease for the nine
months ending 30th September, 1924, was eighty-eight. This is not a large number
compared with the total number of carcases received, the equivalent weight of
which was over 70,000 tons, but it should be remembered that these lesions in the
frozen carcase are not discovered except on cutting up, and it may, therefore, be
assumed that carcases presenting these lesions have escaped the viligance of the
Smithfield inspectors, with the result that they have reached retail shops. The
location of the lesions was as follows:—
Prescapular lymph gland 51
Precrural lymph gland 25
Prescapular and Precrural lymph glands together 3
Iliac lymph gland 1
In bony tissue 1
In muscular tissue 4
In the Prescapular and superficial Inguinal lymph gland 1
In two instances there have been lesions in the Precrural lymph
gland, one of which had been cut out at the time of slaughter and the
other had also been partially cut out, but a small infected portion remained
in situ.
These figures indicate that the disease becomes markedly generalized and
affections such as those above necessitate condemnation of the carcase.
In view of the frequency of infection of the Prescapular and Precrural glands,
it becomes a question for consideration by the Argentine inspection authorities
whether all sheep carcases, other than lamb carcases, should not have these glands
incised on the routine examination at the place of slaughter.
Mr. Young reports that it is interesting to note that your inspectors do not
discover these lesions with anything approaching the same frequency in Australian
sheep carcases although the disease is not uncommon in Australia, and he was
informed by Captain Grant, Veterinary Officer for the Australian Government,
that all carcases of adult sheep are carefully examined at the time of slaughter
by palpating the lymph glands in the Prescapular, Precrural and superficial Inguinal
regions. This examination always reveals any lesions present and is worth considering
in connection with the above recommendation.
The facts were brought to the notice of the Consul-General for the Netherlands.
CHILLED BEEF FROM CANADA.
A number of consignments of chilled beef from Canada have arrived in this
country during the year and have been exposed for sale at Smithfield Market. In
some instances chilled lambs formed part of the consignment.
The meat was carried at a temperature of only two or three degrees below
freezing point. At this temperature the meat remains unfrozen and has an advantage
over frozen beef inasmuch as it does not require a preliminary thawing