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to cleanliness, removal of offal, limewashing, etc. Reasonable
precautions appear to be taken in all the slaughterhouses
to carry out the byelaw which provides that all animals
shall be killed in such a manner as to inflict as little suffering
as possible.
The visits to these premises, as hitherto, have been timed
as far as possible to take place while the animals were killed
and dressed, so that the carcases and the viscera could be
properly examined and any abnormal condition more easily
detected. The slaughterhouses are, however, situated in
different parts of the district, and as killing is carried on at
all hours, it is only possible to inspect a small proportion of
the carcases dealt with in the various licensed premises. In
several instances the organs of animals were found to be unsound
owing to some parasitical or other local affection, and
these were accordingly destroyed. The carcase of a heifer
and one carcase of pork were found to be affected with tuberculosis,
and the disease was sufficiently advanced to involve
the total destruction of both carcases.
A considerable amount of your inspectors' time has been
taken up, both during the day and night, in keeping certain
premises under observation, in order to ascertain whether the
slaughtering of animals was being carried out on unlicensed
premises.
Offences of this nature were detected in the three following
cases, viz.:—
(а) The killing and dressing of two calves in a stable
and the inflating of the carcases with human
breath. The blowing or inflating of carcases is
an offence under Section 38 of the Finchley
Urban District Council Act, 1908.
(b) The killing and dressing of sheep in a retail
shop. This offenoe was committed after the
shop had been closed for ordinary business.
(c) The killing and dressing of a pig at a piggery.