104 PUBLIC ABATTOIRS AND THE PREVENTION, ETC. 



containing water, so that they arrived clean at the lairs in which 

 they were to be kept. There should be separate lairs for the 

 sheep, swine, horned cattle, and calves, there being a little space 

 between the lairs and the abattoirs. The animals should be kept 

 in the lairs for a few days until wanted, and all properly marked, 

 so that each butcher would know his own cattle. In the abattoirs 

 every part should be kept perfectly clean, as well as everything 

 in the vicinity. The buildings could be made as ornamental as 

 desired, so that they would be an improvement to a locality, and 

 there should be nothing objectionable in or about them. The cattle 

 should be taken into the slaughter-hall with a mask over their 

 faces (blindfolded), and a spike fixed in the mask ready to be 

 driven with a mallet into their skulls. The slaughter-hall should 

 be a spacious building, open from end to end, a passage running 

 down the centre. On one side all animals could be slaughtered, 

 and the carcases hung up on the other side. When slaughtering 

 was in process the inspectors could walk up and down the central 

 passage, and special hooks should be provided on which to hang 

 the different viscera directly the animal was killed. 



If the inspector was not satisfied, specimens of the meat 

 would be taken and examined microscopically ; if satisfied, 

 however, the meat would be stamped in every part. If the 

 butcher did not want the meat at once it could be run into the 

 cooling chamber and kept at a temperature of two or three 

 degrees above freezing point. There would be every convenience 

 of dealing with the meat without handling it. The adminis- 

 tration of the abattoir should be under a Veterinary Surgeon or 

 medical man. 



Abattoirs, leading as they would to a more efficient 

 inspection of anmials than could possible be made in the case 

 of a number of private slaughter-houses, would benefit the 

 stock-owner by inducing him to try to eliminate tuberculosis and 

 other diseases from his stock, and thus improve the value of his 

 herd. 



There would be an increased demand for meat from abattoirs 

 on account of the guarantee afforded of its freedom from disease. 

 This would benefit the butcher by increasing the sale of his 

 meat. 



The losses of the butcher in close, hot weather would be 

 very much reduced, owing to his being able to keep his meat 



