1843-44 PUBLIC SERVICES 217 



went also, accompanied by a police officer, into 

 some of the miserable lodgings in St. Giles's. When 

 he came back he was quite distressed at the misery 

 and filth he had witnessed.' 



A few days later we find his attention directed 

 to the necessity of a reform in the matter of 

 slaughter-houses in London, although the Special 

 Commission on the Meat Supply of the Metropolis 

 and the State of Smithfield Market did not take 

 place until 1849. 



He started off early one morning (we read 

 in the diary), in a dense fog, after breakfasting 

 by candle-light, ' with the desperate determination 

 to find his way to Whitechapel, having it in his 

 charge to examine the slaughter-houses there. 

 He succeeded in his task, and after a hard day's 

 work came back safe and sound, the fog having 

 lifted a little.' In the following week he went with 

 Mr. Hobhouse to Leadenhall Market. There he 

 saw Mr. Scales (butcher). * Mr. S. says he is wil- 

 ling that the slaughtering should be kept out of 

 London if all butchers were made to do the same. 

 R. dined afterwards with Sir Robert Inglis. Had 

 Mr. Scales up here. R. in character of Com- 

 missioner and Inquisitor. Mr. Chad wick also to 

 help cross-examine.' 



In May, Owen received a letter from Professor 

 Vrolich, giving an account of his own dissection 

 of the pearly nautilus, stating that he found all 

 the observations made by Owen confirmed. On 



