128 PROCEEDINGS OP THE SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION. 
some sliould be destroyed ; and tbe Ordinance for regulat- 
ing the sale of meat gives power to any Justice of the Peace 
to order tbe destruction of unsound meat exposed for sale at 
tbe markets. Tbis is right. I suggest, however, that pe- 
riodical visits be made to establishments where flour and 
animal food are kept for sale, in order to ascertain whether 
they are sound or not : and in case all such alimentary sub- 
stances be not of good quality, they should be thrown into 
the sea. At times, salt-fish, tasajo and flour are offered 
for sale, which are fit food for pigs and corbeaus only : and 
our Indian Immigrants are but too prone to buy the un- 
wholesome stuff which is sold to them cheap. In my opi- 
nion no unsound meat or fish, and no damaged flour ought 
to be exposed for sale. In Europe those substances are 
turned to advantage ; from the flour they manufacture 
starch and dextrine, and unsound fish and putrid flesh are 
prepared into fertilizing composts : here they are bought to 
be used as food. 
There are, at present, in town three slaughter houses, 
one at Ariapita, and two on the bank of the Dry Piver, near 
its mouth ; they are private establishments subject to no sur- 
veillance. Slaughter houses ought to be here as they are 
in all well regulated towns, municipal property, placed un- 
der stringent regulations, with the object of both enforcing 
that thorough cleanliness which is necessary for the pre- 
servation of meat, and preventing the slaughtering of dis- 
eased animals. As things now are, not only sick oxen are 
killed, but dead animals are actually taken to those estab- 
lishments to be there prepared for the markets. As a rule, 
sheep, pigs and goats are not killed at the slaughter houses ; 
and, contrary to the law, the carcases are huckstered about 
and taken to private houses for sale, the sellers thus de- 
