232 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 
the job, he is in a hurry, and ere the breath is out of the poor brute’s 
carcass — nay, ere he ceases to struggle or moan — he is tumbled into the 
scalding tub ; he is then withdrawn in a second, placed upon a table, the 
hair and bristles carefully removed by scraping with a knife ; disem- 
boweling follows — and it is well if the poor wretch has perished before 
that process commenced. 
In olden times it would appear that our butchers were less hasty, or 
more merciful. All the skulls of hogs were broken in upon the frontal 
bones, precisely in the same manner as are now the skulls of oxen and 
other animals. Were the hog first deprived of sensibility by compres- 
sion of the brain, as produced by a violent blow upon the forehead, he 
would be a passive victim in the butcher’s hands, who could not only 
perform all the remainder of the process with more humanity, but — 
and think well of it, such of you as might probably be swayed by no 
other consideration — with more dispatch and less trouble. 
We are happy in being able to add, that a humane custom of knock- 
ing the hog on the head before cutting his throat is rapidly gaining 
ground, and that no respectable butcher will allow it to be dispensed 
with. In the country parts of both England and Ireland, however, the 
old abuses are still permitted to exist; and we are grieved to say that 
everywhere, with a very few honorable exceptions, the barbarous prac- 
tice of plunging the hog into the scald while yet living, is still sys- 
tematically and designedly adopted. A very respectable man surprised 
us the other day by deliberately telling us that “ a hog will no way 
scald so well as when the life is in him.” This is, however, a mistake. 
It is only necessary not to suffer the animal to become cold and stiff. 
Headers — we raise our voice in behalf of a very useful and most cruelly- 
treated animal — may we beg of all to unite with us in the cause of 
humanity, and then we shall not have raised our voice in vain. 
And now, having supposed the animal killed and dressed, let us pro- 
ceed to inquire into the most approved modes by which its flesh may 
be converted into bacon and ham. The hog should be left fasting for 
full twenty-four hours before killed ; and after the carcass has hung all 
night, it should be laid on its back upon a strong table. The head should 
then be cut off close by the ears, and the hinder feet so far below the 
houghs as not to disfigure the hams, and leave room sufficient to hang 
them up by ; after which the carcass is divided into equal halves, up 
the middle of the back-bone, with a cleaving-knife, and, if necessary, a 
hand-mallet. Then cut the ham from the side by the second joint of 
the back-bone, which will appear on dividing the carcass, and dress the 
ham by paring a little off the flank, or skinny part, so as to shape it 
with a half-round point, clearing oft' any top fat that may appear. The 
curcr will next cut off the sharp edge along the back-bone with a knife 
and mallet, and slice off the first rib next the shoulder, where he will 
find a bloody vein, which must be taken out, for, if left in, that part is 
apt to spoil. The corners should be squared off when the ham is cut 
out. 
This passage is quoted because it describes a novel mode of cutting 
bacon, and which we have not as yet seen practiced. The ordinary 
practice is to cut out the spine or back-bone, and, in some English 
