VETERINARY JURISPRUDENCE. 
1001 
(instructed by Mr. Ricketts) appeared for Birks, who pleaded 
“ Guilty.” Stevenson was defended by Mr. G. S. Griffiths (in- 
structed by Messrs. Doyle and Edwards). It appeared from the 
evidence called for the prosecution that a cow belonging to Mr. 
Deaville, a farmer at Idridgehay, near Derby, was suffering from 
dislocation of the hip, and being incurable, the dislocated bone 
having penetrated the pelvis, and an abscess having commenced to 
form, was ordered by the veterinary surgeon to be destroyed. Mr. 
Deaville sold the animal for 15s., believing it would be used for dogs’ 
meat. It seems, however, that instead of being used for dogs’ meat, 
the carcase was sold again to be used as meat for pigs. The person 
into whose hands it came sold it to Birks and Stevenson for 21. 4s. 
(the value of the flesh being from 20s. to 25s., and that of the hide 
and offal about 20s.). Birks had previously asked this person if he 
had any “ flesh” that would do for either dogs or pigs. Instead of 
using the carcases for either of these purposes, Stevenson, who is 
a butcher by trade, and living at Derby (where Birks also lives, and 
is a publican), on the 12th of August took the four quarters to the 
railway station at Derby, where he packed it in cloth and sent it to 
London. Mr. Grattidge, Sanitary Inspector at Derby, saw the meat 
as it was being packed, and was satisfied from its appearance that 
the animal had suffered for some time from disease, and that the 
meat was unfit for human food. Stevenson told Mr. Grattidge that 
the meat belonged to himself and Birks, and also admitted being the 
person who had had some meat seized in the Derby market that 
morning. Mr. Grattidge telegraphed the address on the hamper 
containing the meat to the sanitary authorities at the Metropolitan 
Meat-market. Mr. Wylde, one of the sanitary inspectors at the 
Metropolitan Meat-market, appointed by the Commissioners of 
Sewers, received the telegram, and went early on the morning of the 
13th of August to the Meat-market and stopped the hamper. Mr. 
Wylde described the meat as evidently unfit for human food, and 
after it had been examined by other inspectors it was condemned at 
Guildhall. As, however, there had been no exposure for sale, the 
prisoners could not be summarily dealt with by the magistrates 
under the Nuisances Removal Act, and they were committed for trial 
here on the common law offence of sending to market meat in an 
unwholesome and diseased state. Mr. Wylde* s evidence was con- 
firmed by that of other persons engaged in the inspection of meat at 
the Meat-market, and by Dr. Letheby. The defence of the prisoner 
Stevenson was based principally on the argument that he might 
himself have been unaware of the meat being unfit for human food, 
and might have believed the animal had died from the accident 
alone, and not from any disease. The jury found Stevenson Guilty. 
It was stated that for the meat seized at Derby, Birks had 
been fined KM. ; and as regarded him, this distinction was drawn, 
that there was no reason to believe he had ever been concerned 
before in transactions of this kind, and in the present case had not, 
so far as was known, ever seen the meat that was sent to London, 
or done anything more than find some of the money to buy the 
