Book II. MODES OF KILLING ANIMALS. 307 



Sect. IV. Of the Modes of kiUing Animals. 



2046. The mode of killing animals has considerable effect on the flesh ^ the animal. 

 Most of those slaughtered for food are either bled to death or are bled profusely imme- 

 diately after being deprived of life in some other way. The common mode of killing 

 cattle in this kingdom is, by striking them on the forehead with a pole-axe, and then 

 cutting their throats to bleed them. But this method is cruel and not free from danger. 

 The animal is not always brought down by tlie first blow, and the repetition is difficult 

 and uncertain, and if the animal be not very well secured, accidents may happen. 

 Lord Somerville [General Survey of the Agriculture of Shropshire, hy Joseph Plyndey, 

 M. A. 8vo. London, 1803, p. 243.), therefore, endeavored to introduce the method of 

 pithing or laying cattle, by dividing the spinal marrow above the origin of the phrenic 

 nerves, as is commonly practised in Barbary, Spain, Portugal, Jamaica, and in some 

 parts of England ; and Jackson says, that the " best method of killing a bullock, is by 

 thrusting a sharp-pointed knife into the spinal marrow, when the bullock will immediately 

 fall without any struggle, then cut the arteries about the heart." (Rejlections on the 

 Commerce of the Mediterranean, hy John Jackson, Esq. F.S.A. 8vo. London, 1804, 

 p. 91.) Although the operation of pithing is not so difficult but it may, with some 

 practice, be performed with tolerable certainty ; and although Lord Somerville took a 

 man with him to Portugal to be instructed in the method, and made it a condition that 

 the prize cattle at his exhibitions should be pithed instead of being knocked down, 

 still pithing is not becoming general in Britain. This may be partly owing to prejudice ; 

 but we have been told that the flesh of the cattle killed in this way in Portugal is very- 

 dark, and becomes soon putrid, probably from the animal not bleeding well, in conse- 

 quence of the action of the heart being interrupted before the vessels of tlie neck are di- 

 vided. It therefore seems preferable to bleed the animal to death directly, as is practised 

 by the Jew butchers. 



2047. Du Card's observations on pithing, deserve attention. This gentleman, a surgeon 

 of the Shrewsbury Infirmary, after mature consideration, is against the practice, as causing 

 more pain than it is intended to avoid. He says, *' Pain and action are so generally- 

 joined, that we measure the degree of pain by the loudness of the cries, and violence of 

 the consequent exertion ; and therefore conclude, on seeing two animals killed, that the 

 one which makes scarcely a struggle, though it may continue to breathe, suffers less than 

 that which is more violently convulsed, and struggles till life is exhausted. It appears, 

 however, that there may be acute pain without exertion, perhaps as certainly as there is 

 action without pain ; even distortions that at the first glance would seem to proceed from 

 pain, are not always really accompanied with sensation. To constitute pain there must 

 be a communication between the injured organ and the brain." 



2048. In the old method of slaughtering, a concussion of the brain takes place, and therefore the power of 

 feeling is destroyed. The animal drops, and although convulsions take place generally longer and more 

 violent than when the spinal marrow is divided, yet there is, I think, reason to believe that the animal 

 suffers less pain. The immediate consequence of the blow is the dilatation of the pupil of the eye, without 

 any expression of consciousness or fear on the approach of the hand. 



2049. From all these-circumstances, DuGard concludes that the new method of slaughtering cattle is more 

 painful than the old. The puncture of the medulla spinalis does not destroy feeling, though it renders the 

 body quiescent, and in this state the animal both endures pain at the punctured part, and suffers, as it were, 

 a second death, from the pain and faintness from loss of blood in cutting the throat, which is practised in 

 both methods. Everard Home, in a valuable paper {Shrew. Rep. p. 250.) has suggested a mode of performing 

 the operation, which would answer completely, could we be sure of having operators sufficiently skilful ; 

 but we may the less regret the difficulty of getting new modes estabhshed when we thus see the superiority 

 of an old custom under very improbable circumstances ; and if well meant reformers wanted any additional 

 motives to care and circumspection, a very forcible one is furnished in the instance of the time and trouble 

 taken to introduce this operation, and which, as it has been hitherto practised,Js tlio very reverse of what 

 was intended. 



2050. Jewish modes. The Mosaic law so strictly prohibits the eating of blood, that 

 the Talmud contains a body of regulations concerning the killing of animals j and the 

 Jews, as a point of religion, will not eat the flesh of any animal not killed by a butcher 

 of their own persuasion. Their method is to tie all tlie four feet of the animal together, 

 bring it to the ground, and, turning its head back, to cut the throat at once down to the 

 bone, witli a long, very sharp, but not pointed knife, dividing all the large vessels of the 

 neck. In this way the blood is discharged quickly and completely. The effect is indeed 

 said to be so obvious, that some Christians will eat no meat but what has been killed by 

 a Jew butcher. Calves, pigs, sheep, and lambs, are all killed by dividing at once the 

 large vessels of the neck. 



2051. Animals which are killed hy accident, as by being drowned, hanged, or frozen, or 

 by a fall, or ravenous animal, are not absolutely unwholesome. Indeed, they only 

 differ from those killed methodically in not being bled, which is also the case witli animals 

 that are snared, and in those killed by hounds. Animals which die a natural death 

 should never be eaten, as those are undeniable instances of disease, and even death being 

 the consequence. 



2052. Animals frequently undergo some prqiaration before they are killed. They are 



X 2 



