242 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. 



brain in the sheep occupying a situation posterior to what at 

 first sight would appear to be the natural one. 



There is an idea prevalent among farmers, and even among 

 many of those who practise the slaughtering of swine as an 

 avocation, that, if these animals are first rendered insensible 

 by blows upon the head, that it is impossible to empty the 

 blood-vessels. 



There is no foundation, however, for any such opinion. 

 Any obstacles to bleeding are due, not to material diflerences 

 in the anatomical arrangement of the blood-vessels, but solely 

 to the difficulties attendino: the cutting; throuo-h of the s'reat 

 mass of fat and flesh which characterizes the necks of swine, 

 in order to reach these vessels, — a reason, certainly, why the 

 animal should be rendered insensible before bleeding, not only 

 on the score of humanity, but also on the score of avoiding 

 the barbarous sights and sounds which so frequently disgi-ace 

 our towns and villages. 



lu Europe, generally, and at the present time in our large 

 slaughtering establishments, both in New England and at the 

 West, the swine are always first rendered insensible by being 

 stunned. They should be made insensible by a blow upon 

 the head, directed, not between the eyes, but upon a spot in 

 the middle of a line drawn across the head three to four inchca 

 above the eyes. A long, sharp knife should then be thrust 

 deeply through the lower portion of the brisket, at a point 

 just above the breast-bone, severing the large vessels leading 

 from the heart. To facilitate this operation, the head should 

 be drawn back by the hand holding the snout. The point of 

 the knife after it has been thrust in should be swept about 

 and made to cut more extensively in the deep parts than at 

 the surface. This insures the thorough division of the blood- 

 vessels and the most rapid and efl'ectual Ijleeding of the an- 

 imal. 



Small dogs, cats, and other diminutive animals, particularly 

 if sick or in any way disabled, are humanely destroyed by 

 means of chloroform. 



This substance should be administered by pouring fi'om 

 half an ounce to an ounce of it on a sponge or folded flannel, 

 placed within a thick cloth or towel, and applied over the 



