759 
Veterinary Jurisprudence. 
EXPOSING DISEASED MEAT FOR SALE—PLEURO¬ 
PNEUMONIA. 
LYNN Police Court. 
Present:—The Mayor (T. J. Seppings, Esq.), E. E. Durrant, J. K. 
Jarvis, and J. G. Wigg, Esqs., and Dr. Lowe. 
Thomas Robert Massingham was charged by John Hall, Inspector of 
Nuisances, with exposing for sale four quarters of a bullock at his shop, 
St. James’s Street, Lynn, on Friday, the 4th September, such meat 
being diseased and unfit for human food. Mr. Sims Reeve (instructed 
by Mr. Archer, Town Clerk) prosecuted, and Mr. Wilkin defended. 
Mr. Sims Reeve, in opening the case, said it appeared that in August 
a bull belonging to Mr. George Tingay was taken ill, and was slaugh¬ 
tered by Mr. Henry Carver, a butcher, of Downham Market. A police¬ 
man later that day saw four quarters of the beast in the cart of Mr. 
Massingham, and at once came to the conclusion it was being taken to 
Lynn. He followed, and, later still, found the meat hanging in Mr. 
Massingham’s shop. When he got there he found that two quarters of 
the meat had been disposed of. Mr. Massingham, however (he wished 
to do him justice), promised that the two quarters, which had been sent 
into the country, should be fetched back. The two quarters left were 
hung up amongst some others. He must admit that Massingham had 
acted very wisely and properly in the matter. He assisted the officer 
to take the meat to the Town Hall, because, as he said, it was detri¬ 
mental to him to have policemen hanging about his shop. The next 
day one of the magistrates (Dr. Lowe) saw the meat, and he considered 
it so bad that he ordered it to be destroyed and buried. The Act fixed 
the penalty for exposing for sale meat unfit for food at £20, or a term of 
imprisonment not exceeding three months. It might be contended that 
the meat had been disposed of under some authority at Downham 
Market; but the law did not authorise any one to send meat to King’s 
Lynn for disposal which was unfit for human food, and if they at Down¬ 
ham thought it was fit to eat, why, let them eat it themselves (laughter). 
It was a matter which affected not so much the rich as the poor, as it 
had been found absolutely necessary that food unfit for man’s use should 
not be sold. This was a case in which if they (the magistrates) thought the 
defendant had acted in a simply careless manner they might inflict a 
comparatively light penalty; but if they thought the case was a gross 
breach of the Act they knew their duty. He might add that pleuro¬ 
pneumonia was a disease which, as it became more advanced, was com¬ 
municated to the whole system; and his contention was that the animal 
in question was a diseased one, and that it was killed because it was dis¬ 
eased. The object of the Act was the prevention of this, and if the 
disease was found in a herd the animal affected was ordered to be killed, 
and the Government paid half the value of the beast. 
Evidence confirmatory of the statements of the prosecution having 
been given, 
Mr. Wilkin addressed the Court in defence, and called as a witness 
Mr. Benjamin Harris Carver, who said—I am a veterinary surgeon and 
inspector of nuisances, and have been in practice forty years. On 
Thursday, the 28th of August, I went to Mr. Tingay’s premises and 
