MUNICIPAL HYGIENE 661 



He shall forthwith upon the completion of the slaughtering of any 

 cattle or the dressing of any carcase in such slaughter-house cause 

 such blood, manure, garbage, filth, or other refuse products to be col- 

 lected and deposited in such vessels or receptacles, and shall cause all 

 the contents of such vessels or receptacles to be removed from the 

 premises at least once in every twenty-four hours. 



He shall cause every such vessel or receptacle to be thoroughly 

 cleansed immediately after such vessel or receptacle shall have been 

 used for such collection and removal, and shall cause every such 

 vessel or receptacle when not in actual use to be kept thoroughly 

 clean. 



Methods of Slaughtering Animals. 



For years past the veterinary profession has been 

 endeavouring to get some reform instituted in the direc- 

 tion of humane slaughtering ; there is perhaps no one not 

 connected with the trade who knows more of what goes on 

 in an abattoir, and an endeavour has been made to 

 educate the public to a sense of its responsibility in this 

 matter. Up to the present the success has not been great, 

 but the day must shortly arrive when it will be illegal 

 throughout the country for any animal, great or small, to 

 be killed without previously being rendered insensible by 

 stunning. 



In this and other matters connected with abattoirs they 

 are ahead of us abroad. It is illegal in Saxony and 

 Switzerland to slaughter without stunning, and, further, 

 every means is taken to teach men the methods of 

 becoming expert at this revolting business, by means of 

 certain mechanism which will be found fully described in 

 the reference given on p. 662. 



Various forms of slaughter masks for the larger animals 

 have been devised, some of which are ingenious but not 

 always practical. In all cases they assume what is 

 certainly very common, want of skill in the application of 

 the most common and effective weapon, viz., the pole-axe. 

 With the latter instrument stunning and brain destruction 

 are effected at the same time, but the instrument requires 

 skill and strength, and mishaps occur which the various 

 masks are intended to prevent. The chief defect of the 



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