REPORT ON THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 
215 
after fifteen years* experience of pleuro-pneumonia in this 
country, and of the sale of the carcases of animals, the sub- 
jects of it, we do not hesitate to state that the flesh is fitted 
for food in the early stages of the affection. 
The surprise in the continuance of the system of killing 
and burying bovine animals becomes the greater when we 
see it adopted in a country where the sale of horseflesh, as 
an article of food, is both legalised and encouraged by the 
Government. In Altona, we passed by the shop of one of 
these horse-butchers, and saw exposed for sale part of the 
hind-quarters, and sundry pieces of flesh of a horse, and also 
the liver, and kidneys of the animal. We were tempted to 
walk in, when we were informed by the proprietor that there 
were four other establishments of the same kind in the town, 
but that his was “the original one. 55 He said that so ready 
a sale was found for the meat, that it was with great diffi- 
culty he could procure horses enough for his customers. 
The price ranged from about Q,d. to 3d. per lb. English 
money, and it appeared that the meat was often bought by 
persons who could not be properly said to belong to the 
lower classes. We were invited to see the establishment, 
and visited the slaughter-house and stable. In the former, 
besides more meat, was hanging the lower part of the fore 
leg, with the foot of the animal last slaughtered, which had 
been put aside for the inspection of the police ; and in the 
latter were standing two aged and worn-out horses, waiting 
their turn to be led to the stake. 
These butcheries are licensed by the Government, and are 
under the supervision of the police. Notice has to be given 
before a horse can be killed, when the veterinary surgeon of 
the department attends and examines the animal, and, if 
found to be free from constitutional disease, notwithstanding 
it may be incapacitated for work from lameness or other de- 
fect, he certifies to that effect, and for the sake of identity 
brands the animal on its hoof. Within a given time the 
animal must be killed, and its leg and foot produced for the 
inspection and satisfaction of the police. 
Sweden and Norway. 
We find by a perusal of official documents which have 
been placed at our disposal, that the fear of the introduction 
of pleuro-pneumonia from Holstein led the government of 
Sweden to interdict the importation of cattle from that 
Duchy in August, 1856, unless accompanied by satisfactory 
