The Supply of Meat to Large Towns. 531 



romarkablo impulse to the trade in dead moat both in England and 

 Scotland, and that all salesmen agreed that the trade in dead meat 

 Avonkl increase and become the jirincipal source of supply. Tliis, it 

 would be observed, was in the year 1856 ; and of course before the 

 cattle plague was thought of. In the next place, the report dwelt 

 upon the importance of establishing a central market for the metro- 

 l«)lis, of giving facilities in such a central market for the disposal of 

 tlie oifal among the poor people who rec[uircd it, and also the essential 

 imi)ortance of comi^etition to regulate the price of meat. The com- 

 mittee also said there was no evidence to lead them to the conclusion 

 that a dead-meat market, if properly managed, would create anything 

 like unwholesomcness in its vicinity. 



There was always something to be learned from our neighbours 

 across the Channel, and he should like to quote the ojiinion of one of 

 the most acute, clear-headed, and sharp-eyed Englishmen that had. 

 ever travelled : he meant Sir Edmund Head. In 1852, Sir Edmund 

 published an interesting and popular book, with the title of ' A Faggot 

 of French Sticks.' In one of the chapters, the author described 

 a visit which he had made to the ahaltoirs and pig- slaughtering 

 establishments in Paris, and a conversation which he held with 

 the chef of the latter, in the course of which the clief stated the 

 principle by which pig-killing was regulated. " Sir," said he, " in 

 Paris no one has a right to kill a pig ! " And that, it appeared, 

 was the principle upon which the whole thing hinged. The killing 

 was all done at the Government establishments. The Paris abattoirs 

 were established by the Emperor Napoleon the First. There were 

 iive of them for cattle, outside the walls. They were built like cavalry 

 barracks, and the dimensions of one of them were 389 yards in 

 length by 150 yards in breadth. AiTangements existed for the 

 immediate prejiaration of the blood for the pui-poses of commerce, and 

 for disposing of the entrails. There were also a tripery and melting 

 houses, and even when the weather was exceedingly hot there were no 

 noxious smells. All the arrangements for treating the cattle were of 

 a most merciful kind. There was no barking of dogs, no hallooing of 

 men, no feverish excitement. An abundant supply of water for 

 slushing was provided. There was no pawing with hot hands, and no 

 bad meat was allowed to be sent away for sausages. Then the author, 

 moralising ujion all this, exclaimed. How different was this to the 

 manner in which they dealt with the roast beef of Old England 

 in Newgate Market ! If Sir Edmund had been with him (Lord 

 Cathcart) on a recent occasion when he spent a whole night in 

 Newgate Market, he fancied he would have used language still more 

 forcible and emphatic. 



Another remarkable circumstance, which Sir Edmund Head did not 

 refer to, but which was mentioned in the ' Journal of the Statistical 

 Society,' was that the introduction of horse-flesh into Paris having been 

 forbidden, a large contraband trade in it sprang up, which increased 

 to such an extent that the authorities were at length obliged to 

 legalise the introduction of horse-flesh for consumption as human 



