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186
The effect of your Vestry's action in 1875 was, that only
32 out of 48 licenses were renewed, the license in 16 cases
having been either refused or not applied for. Summing up
the results of the Special Licensing Sessions, I reported, 20th
October, 1875, as follows
"Last year we had six slaughter-houses approached through shops or dwelling
houses; now there are but two" (one of which ceased to be
licensed in 1876). "Last year a very large proportion of the whole
number had lairage in, or not separated from the slaughter-house; now
in every premises there is separate lairage. Great improvements have
also been effected in the lighting, ventilation, water supply, and general
arrangements of the slaughter-houses, which will be used henceforth
exclusively for the purpose for which they are licensed."
At the same time, I pointed out that" we should not be
satisfied to allow matters to rest" as they then were, and
" should not be content till further improvements have been
effected, by new bye-laws, in the existing private slaughterhouses
"—my preference, of course, being for the abattoir
system. The nature of these desired improvements was set
out in my Annual Report for 1875, page 37, My views,
approved by your Vestry, were adopted by the Society of
Medical Officers of Health, who, in a report shortly afterwards,
signified their opinion that the "construction of existing
slaughter-houses as ordered by the Metropolitan
Board of Works, is not sufficiently regulated by sanitary considerations."
It was advised that Medical Officers of Health
should use the opportunity of bringing this view under the notice
of the Justices, and, so far as they were able, should strive for
the adoption of certain principles with respect to slaughterhouse
construction, &c., which were set out in the report, and
which substantially ran on the lines of the "conditions"
above specified. The new bye-laws give effect to all of the
recommendations made by your Vestry, and by the Society,
and are, it seems to me, in all respects satisfactory, save that
no provision is made (as no doubt the Council would have
preferred) for an independent entrance to the slaughter-house.