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a legitimate trade is being carried on in cat's meat, I am obliged to accept the
statement, though frequently I have doubts whether it would not have found
its way into brawns, &c. and sold as human food, if I had not visited the
premises and noticed it. There are scores of these shops in the district, as well
as in other parts of London. So long as human food and cat's meat are allowed
to be prepared and sold on the same premises, this state of affairs will be a
menace to Public Health. Some tradesmen of course are perfectly genuine and
honest, and they can be trusted to prepare only sound and wholesome food for
human consumption, but there are others who are not so scrupulous.
On January 12th, Mr. Barnet Silver, 12, Coke Street, was summoned for
having in his possession and deposited for the purpose of sale, 91 tins of liquid
eggs, and one jar of the same stuff, weighing altogether about a ton. The eggs
were unsound and unfit for human food. A large quantity of Boracic acid had
been added in order to preserve them, but it had evidently been added after the
eggs had turned bad. The defendant was sentenced at the Police Court to one
month's imprisonment with hard labour, without the option of a fine. An
appeal was lodged against this decision. By consent, the appeal was dismissed
and the conviction upheld, but the sentence was altered to a fine of £50 with
£10 10s Police Court costs, together with the whole of the costs incurred in the
appeal.
On February 1st, Mr. D. Eissen, of 36, Samuel Street, was summoned for
having exposed for sale 41bs. of pears which were unfit for human consumptionHe
was fined £1 and 2s. costs.
On February 3rd, Mr. Abraham Siegleman, 79, Varden Street, was summoned
for being in possession of 906 eggs which were unsound and unfit for
human food and were deposited for the purpose of sale. The defendant was
sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour without the option of
a fine.
On June 6th, I received information that a cow had died at a dairy in
White Horse Lane, and had been removed on the same day by a butcher from
Jubilee Street. On visiting the dairy I was informed that the cow was quite
dead before the arrival of the butcher's employees. I visited the latter's
premises, where I was told that the cow in question had been removed to the
Knacker's yard. Twelve cows had recently been killed on the premises, and
thirteen had been skinned. I saw the skins in the slaughterhouse, as well as
twelve sets of lungs, livers, &c. Five of the livers were diseased. They were