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Cowsheds.—These have been kept clean during the year, and the usual
sanitary regulations enforced. The animals have not, however, been so
healthy, as in preceding years; foot and mouth disease having appeared in
all the sheds in St. Giles. The cows are at present free from disease. I have
to add that the systematic disregard of the regulations of your Board by Mr.
Howe of Coram Street, was brought under the notice of the Magistrates on
the last licensing day; and they, after hearing Mr. Rowe's statement, entered
in his license the number of cows he was allowed to keep; informing him
that if he continued to disobey, his license might be revoked on the next
occasion. I regret, however, to be obliged to state that Mr. Rowe has
constantly kept, in both his sheds, a larger number of cows than are allowed;
and has been as unmindful of the Magistrate's warning as of your regulations.
The greater number of the licensed cow-sheds in this District are kept
as clean as circumstances permit; but their condition, even at the best, makes
me regret that cow-sheds should be allowed in the centres of dense populations.
The quality of the milk yielded by the cows kept in these sheds is
also inferior. Their food consists chiefly of grains to which hay, potatoes,
linseed, and pea-meal, are occasionally added. The effect of continued feeding
on grains is to make the supply of milk more copious but to deteriorate
its quality. When the milk becomes too thin, a portion of linseed, hay, or
pea-meal is added to the food; and by these means the quality of the supply
is regulated by the cow-keeper; his object being to make as large a profit as
he can upon as poor an article as the public will purchase. I have tested
the quality of the milk as it came from the udder in several of the sheds,
and I found that in almost every instance the milk was slightly acid: for
example,—one cow in Shed, fed partly on grains, and a long time in
the Shed; milk drawn slightly acid; another cow, recently taken in, and not
long since calved, milk neutral.
Two cows in Shed,—both fed on grains, hay, and potatoes; milk
slightly acid.
Two cows in Shed,—one of which had been in the Shed two
months and had been fed on grains and pea-meal; milk slightly acid; the
other had been in twelve months, fed the same, the milk more decidedly acid.
Two cows in Shed, fed alike, milk acid; that of the one longest in
the Shed, most markedly so.
Two cows in Shed, fed alike, one had been in a considerable time;
milk acid; the other in the Shed two months only, milk neutral.
In no case that I examined was the milk alkaline, although it should be.
It would therefore appear that in the case of cows that have just calved
and have been recently admitted to the sheds, the milk is nearly in its
normal state; whilst in the case of those that have been for several weeks or
months in the sheds, and, therefore, fed for a longer time on grains, etc., the
character of the milk is spoiled. It is rendered more watery, acid, and
deficient in butter and nitrogenized, or flesh-forming, elements. This kind
of milk is unfitted for healthy digestion, and is peculiarly unsuitable for the
use of infants and young children.
The quantity of milk yielded by the cows in these sheds is so trifling in
comparison with the amount consumed in the district supplied, that the
public would sustain no inconvenience if the sheds were summarily closed.
There does not seem to be any sufficient reason, so far as I am aware, on
grounds of public necessity, why intra-urban cow-sheds should be allowed;
whilst on every sanitary ground they are clearly a great evil.
Slaughter-houses.—The only complaint against slaughter-houses during
the year, has been made against that kept by Mr. Leigh, at 32, Duke Street,