328 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



beef" that the board of agriculture of that State memorial- 

 ized the legishxture to appoint a committee with full authority 

 to investigate this whole matter, and prosecute all offending 

 parties. But through an oversight in law-making, two oppos- 

 ing Acts were placed upon the statute books, and hence 

 nothing has been done there to curtail these infamous trans- 

 actions. 



This diseased-meat traffic is comparatively new business 

 for the American people, but such fraudulent speculation has 

 been practised in the old country for many years. Animals 

 that have died from various forms of disease have been 

 dressed and disposed of among the poor as a cheaper class of 

 beef. And during a siege of war or a fomine, this trade has 

 often increased to such an extent that a plague among those 

 suffering mortals has been the inevitable consequence. 

 Hence, is there no cause for alarm in this direction, or shall 

 we sleep, as it were, with perfect confidence in each other, 

 when the meat-trade affords the most glaring opportunities 

 for dishonest practice? And this is simply because the 

 people have not been educated in this sanitary branch of 

 knowledge, as the age demands. I have no desire to offend 

 the butcher, nor to vitiate the appetite of the faint-hearted or 

 the dainty ; but I do desire to have our people know the 

 sources from whence much of their so-called cheap bee/ comes. 

 I have known of butchers offering half price for a sick 

 animal, on the ground that it could be doctored and saved ; 

 but I fear that such creatures never get any other treatment 

 than a finishing blow when bought for such a purpose. 



There are various diseases that affect our meat animals, and 

 thus render their flesh unsuitable for human food. All, in 

 fact, are dangerous, but some more so than others. And the 

 consequences of thus consuming any of this diseased meat 

 should awaken a deep interest among the guardians of the 

 public health. For we find that malignant pustule and other 

 forms of carbuncular fever are on the increase from year to 

 year. This is clearly shown by statistics from London and 

 other large cities. And the register-general of Scotland has 

 called the attention of that people to this same subject. 

 Shall we not therefore make some move to warn the people of 

 our State against the traffic in such vitiated food ? I need no 



