Meat inspection

232

THE

INSURANCE OF CATTLE IN GERMANY.

the insurance office of the particular district would bear one quarter of the loss, and the remaining three-quarters would be distributed amongst the others, In this law also another important matter is touched on, namely, that compensation is allowed for flesh that is condemned by the sanitary police. Up till Ist January, 1893 , sixty-five districts had formed cattle insurance offices, which have now been united into one insurance union. I n Saxony a project is on foot for a law to meet the losses from the condemnation of tuberculous animals out of the public exchequer. COMMUNAL

INSURANCE OFFICES FOR CATTLE.

In the case of some communes o w m n g public slaughter-houses, opportonity has been given to slaughterers to insure their beasts against condetonation. The Municipal Council of Leipsic, in 189o , passed a local regulation to the effect that all cattle and pigs brought to the cattle market should be insured in the city's Insurance Office for Cattle intended for Slaughter, excepting such as could not be insured owing to their age or state of health. OTHER CATTLB INSURANCE SOCIETIES. There are, however, quite a number of public insurance offices with agents in several cities, which, in addition to a general insurance of cattle, undertake insurances against losses which may be sustained through the condemnation of cattle destined for slaughter, as for example, the Central Cattle Insurance Office, in Berlin, the German Cattle Insurance Society, at Stargard, the Hanseatic Insurance Bank, in Hamburg, the National Insurance Society, in Cassel (the last two insuring only against loss from tuberculosis), and others. I n Berlin the premiums are : For large beasts up to 300 Marks value, 8 M., and for every 5 ° M. increase of value, o"5 M. more. For two-year.old cattle up to a value of 15o M., 4 M . ; calves, i M.; sheep, 75 Pf. ; pigs, up to the value of i2o M., i M . , u p to 15o M., 1"5 M . , a n d o"5 M. more for every 5 ° M. increase in value. In addition to these there are the charges made b 7 the veterinary surgeon, which, in the case of large animals, amount to at least r M., for pigs 4 ° to 5 ° Pf., and for small cattle lO'ZO Pf. These rather high charges are especially noticeable in the case of pigs. It is to be observed that private unions can work much more cheaply than Societies which carry on the insurance as a business. In the case of the former the expenses are much smaller, because, with the exception of the services o f the veterinary surgeon and clerk, all the other officers are honorary. T h e public has become increasingly alive to this fact, and almost everywhere now, where compulsory meat inspection has been introduced and public slaughter-houses erected, such insurance unions are arising which had their origin either in an already existing insurance fund of the butchers

against loss from cysticerci cellulosic and trichinosis, or in an existing butchers' union, or through consorted action between farmer, butcher, and dealer. This last" is the most' satisfictory because the largest possible number of parties interested are united, and, in consequence, the premiums to be paid are low. But an insurance scheme can only be of real value to the participators if it is understood-1. That the animals which are to be insured must be examined before their slaughter by a veterinary surgeon, and only those accepted which, when alive, are uninjured, without visible signs of the disease, and not so emaciated as to render the flesh of less value than the price ordinarily obtaining. That all flesh is to be excluded from the insurance which is only presented for examination after shughter. 2. That there be a Freibank* (i.e., a place where meat of second-class quality is exposed for sale under proper supervision), or similar institution, for the sale of the flesh of unsound animals. 3. That arrangements are made for utilising, in the best manner possible, carcases entirely excluded from human consumption. [In connection with the above subject the following note of the system of cattle insurance in force at Paisley, will be of interest. The insurance is to cover loss from seizure in the public cattle mart and slaughter-house. The buyer and seller pay one shilling each per animal, and in the event of seizure, insurance is paid at the rate of threefourths of the price of all animals purchased at £6 or upwards for the purpose of slanghter.--£d.]

MEAT INSPECTION. THE Cardiff Town Council have recently had the question of Meat Inspection under their consideration, the point being raised by a communication from the local Chamber of Commerce, dealing with the question of the qualifying experience of the inspectors for this work. It appears from Dr. Walforct's Report that Cardiff has, by private legislation, entirely done away with private slaughter-houses, and has now two pubhc abattoirs. In them there were slaughtered during i895 , 86,566 animals of all descriptions. Hitherto the inspection of the work of slaughtering has been done as follows : - - " T h e District Inspectors of Nuisances visit the slaughter-houses twice a week regularly, and also at other times on receipt of a message from the Resident Superintendent. Mr. Molt, the Veterinary Inspector, also visits these places twice a week, and in the event of any of these officials discovering any diseased meat or suspecting the quality of the meat exposed for sale, they at once communicate with me (the Medical Officer of Health) and I make an inspection, and, * The insurance officeat Stolp saved by the Freibank, and the utilisation of the condemned carcases, about 38 per cent. of the compensation paid.

MEAT

INSPECTION.

if necessary, t a k e steps for p r e v e n t i n g its use for food." The Report of the Royal Commission on T u b e r c u l o s i s e m p h a s i s e d t h e already a d m i t t e d n e e d o f t h o r o u g h m e a t inspection, w h i c h c a n only b e d o n e whilst t h e carcase is b e i n g dressed.

233

H a v i n g r e g a r d to t h e large n u m b e r o f a n i m a l s slaughtered at t h e C a r d i f f abattoirs, it is e v i d e n t t h a t t h e staff for t h e supervision o f t h e processes of slaughter was i n a d e q u a t e for t h e work to b e d o n e . I t is, therefore, very satisfactory t o b e able to r e p o r t t h a t t h e T o w n C o u n c i l h a v e a c t e d o n

"2 Cit 7 or Borough.

Popu- ] ~ lation. / " ~ 6ca

d~

~

Qualification of Inspectors.

Remarks.

z!

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYN I~ZDS ......

I33 I29

MANCHESTER ... SALFORD . . . . . . NORWICH . . . . . .

I15 3I 41

GATESHEAD

o

I 2

......

BURNLEY WEST

IIAM

2 2

...

o o

0

0

O

I

I

I

2

O

0

No special qualification ... Both previously in Cattle trade .. . All traine(i Inspect'ors iii Veterinary Surgeon ... .

.

.

.

,.

...

°..

...

. . . . . .

Retired Butcher ... l . - - I 5 years' experience... 2. --Butcher. ...

...

..,

PLYMOUTH . . . . . .

Butcher

BOLl'ON HULL

Butchers . . . . . . . . . Butcher . . . . . . . . .

...... ......

SUNDERLAND

.........

...

...... ......

SHEFPIRLD

...

WOLV'R.AM~N ::: BLACKBURN

..,

HUDDERSFIRLD

I

...

24

.,.

I I

...

PORTSMOUTH ... BRIGHTON . . . . . . PRESTON . . . . . . SWANSRA . . . . . . BRISTOL . . . . . .

0

...

0 I

Special Training . . . . . . Butchers ~ with Special Training .... Experience in Meat trade ..,

,,,

¢. . . . .

Retired Butcher . . . . . .

Butcher . . . . . . . . . I.--Great Experience Retired Butcher . . . . . .

Inspection done by Inspectors of Nuisances who hold certificate of Sanitary Institute. Has charge of Meat Markets and Slaughter Houses.

i~i

,..

Retired Butcher . . . . . .

...

HALIFAX LIVERPOOL

,..

Inspection of Meat is carried out by Inspector of Nuisances and by Veterinary Inspector paid by fee. Inspection carried out as in Norwich.

Inspector has thorough knowledge of diseases of animals. Work done by Inspector of Nuisances.

Retir~I Bui~:her ""

.......

BIRKENHEAD

~ROYDON

..~

...

DERBY ...... LEICESTER . . . . . . OLDHAM

...

Work done by Inspector of Nuisances and by Veterinary Inspector, who is paid by fee (lOS. 6d.) An average of 24o, ooo beasts slaughtered per annum, exclusive of sheep, pigs and calves.

Work done by Inspectors of Nuisances, who have certificate of Sanitary Institute. Work done by Inspectors of Nuisances.

... Chief Inspector is also Superintendent of Abattoirs.

Exvenence//B~td~'er ;;i

Abattoir belong to Docks Company.

T h e E d i t o r will b e glad to receive a d d i t i o n a l i n f o r m a t i o n to t h a t c o n t a i n e d in this table, t o e n a b M h i m to p u b l i s h a m o r e c o m p l e t e s t a t e m e n t .

234

ILLNESS

FROM

DEFECTIVE

Dr. Walford's r e c o m m e n d a t i o n , and appointed the Veterinary Inspector under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act to act as M e a t I n s p e c t o r under the H e a l t h Department, at an inclusive salary o f . ~ ' 3 o o . For the purposes of his Report, Dr. Walford addressed a circular letter to certain medical officers inquiring as to the practice of m e a t inspection prevailing u n d e r their jurisdictions. T h e replies are of interest, not only as showing how little is really done in this direction as c o m p a r e d with the practice abroad, but also as to the varying m e t h o d of doing what is done. Believing that m a n y of our readers will find t h e replies o f use for their own guidance, and as a point o f departure in dealing with t h e subject in the future, the tabulated statement included in Dr. Walford's R e p o r t is given here. L o n d o n is not i n c l u d e d in the list, but there is a very thorough system of inspection in force at Deptford, and, as far as we know, at Islington. F o r the rest o f t h e Metropolis, everything d e p e n d s on t h e - v a r i o u s local authorities. With the exception o f the abattoirs under the jurisdiction o f t h e City Corporation, where a very large proportion of the L o n d o n slaughtering takes place, the Metropolitan slaughter-houses, although very greatly i m p r o v e d in recent years, leave much to be desired.

SEWER ILLNESS

VENTILATION. FROM DEFECTIVE VENTILATION.

SEWER

THE grave difficulties frequently encountered when attempting to secure a d e q u a t e ventilation ot the public sewers, m o r e especially of " d e a d ends,'" are illustrated by the following extracts from a report to the Legislative Council of N e w South Wales, presented by Dr. J. Ashburton T h o m p s o n , President of the Board of H e a l t h of t h e Colony. I t appears that in October, 1894, a ventilator was erected against the side of a chapel in Sydney, at the h e a d o f a b r a n c h sewer. I n close proximity to the chapel there are three d e t a c h e d h o u s e s " S h e n l e y , " distant about 45 ft., north and west of the ventilator, " U r a l l a , " distant some IO 5 ft., west and south of the ventilator, and " G l a d s m u i r , '~ distant about 65 ft., south a n d east of the ventilator. All the m e a s u r e m e n t s are to the nearest corner of each building. Complaints were early m a d e o f smells from the shaft, which was in the first instance constructed as an inlet, and subsequently converted into an outlet. T h e records of illness at each house are given by Dr. T h o m p s o n , and are as follows : - -

STATigMENT furnished by Mr. W. C. D , "Shenley."--Length of residence at '" Shet~ley" ? Eight years last December (I895). --Present number of inmates ? Six adults and four children.--Statement as to illnesses during whole tenancy ? We had little or no illness previous to the erection of the ventilator, excepting the children (four) having measles and colds, and my eldest boy having rheumatism. Approximate date of attack.

Initials.

Remarks.

Kind of Illness.

Duration of illness, six weeks. Trained nurse, four weeks. Sore throat ; high temperature. Pronounced by Dr. Shewen as a " drain throat '~ ; ill a fortnight. Very bad throat (ulcerated) ... Since this time Miss O. has been subject to frequent attacks diarrhoea. Feverish attack, vomitin Ill four days. diarrhcea. Used same remedies as Dr. Lamrock predo. do . . . . . . . scribed in illness of other child (B. D.), Ulcerated throat .................. Ill several days. Very bad throat (ulcerated) ; Doctor attended for three weeks. Boy in high temperature, bed over a fortnight. Feverish attack, with sore Used remedies as previously prescribed by throat. Dr. Lamrock.

Miss H. O. (adult) ...... ! Oct. x7th, I894 ... Typhoid fever ..................... Mrs. D. (adult) ............ i Dec. 2ist, I894 ... Feb. 28th, I895 ... B. D. (three years)

April 6th, x895

O. D. (five years) ......... April I3th , I895 ... C. D. (ten years) ......... J u l y - - , 1895 ...... It. D. (fourteen years)... Oct. --, 1895 ......

tI. O. and C ............... ; C h r i s t m a s Day, x895, and New I Year's Day, I896 W. D ...................... ! Jan. I 6 t h , I 8 9 6 ... Diphtheria ........................

Ill in bed for three weeks. nurse for three weeks.

With trained

, "Uralla."--Length of residence at " Uralla," Llandaff street ? About eight years. STATEMENT furnished by Mr. F. B --Present number of inmates? Four females and One male ; Five adults (four females, one male) and four children, three boys and one girl. Initials.

m~

a~O~SStlO~BQ~O~I

Approximate date of attack, i

Kind of Illness.

Before erection of shaft ...... Measles and whooping cough ......... After erection o~ shaft ...... Sore throats and diphtheritic tonsilitis.

Milk from ? Date of change of source (if any). Source (c) over four years, and at present from source (a).