YORKSHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY. 
439 
it not that, at the instigation of our friend, who, possibly having in his mind 
the exigencies of his position as Secretary, to provide something at least for 
your consideration, suggested that I should return him a quid pro quo for his 
able assistance by giving you a paper on the subject of the case, a discussion 
on which, in his opinion, would be useful to the Society. 
Simply for the sake of raising the discussion, the case may be considered 
under the head of 
What is Wholesome and what is Unwholesome Meat? 
On the 4th February last I was requested to visit the farm of the defendant 
in this case, and on my way to the farm I got to know, from disinterested 
parties, that the cow whose carcase I was going to examine was really hanged, 
but had been stuck before it was dead. On my arrival I examined the car¬ 
case and internal organs minutely, and smelt it all over, and, from the condition 
of the carcase, the characteristic appearance of the internal organs, as well as 
from both horns having been knocked off, the whole place bespattered with blood, 
and that the animal was in a perfect state of health the night before, coupled with 
the straightforward tale of the defendant, his brother, and sister, I was fully 
satisfied the animal was strangled, and was stuck before the heart had ceased its 
functions. On the face of these facts I gave a certificate that it was fit for 
human food, and the man took it to Halifax Market, and on its arrival it was 
condemned and burned, and the man summoned. He duly appeared before the 
magistrates, and was confronted by a member of the sister profession, the 
medical officer of health for the borough; a M.R.C.V.S.; an empiric ; a ruling 
butcher and a markets meat inspector. The owner of the animal produced 
my certificate, and, after some discussion, the magistrates adjourned the case 
for me to appear and defend the certificate. I did appear, in company with 
my friend Mr. Broughton and my brother Peter from Bradford, The line 
that the prosecution took was that the flabby nature of the carcase, and the 
congested appearance of the lungs and softness of the heart and liver, in¬ 
dicated that, in their opinion, the animal had been diseased for some time. 
The medical officer of health went the length of saying that the lungs, heart, 
and liver were in a rotten state. This was the kind of evidence we had to 
refute, and the prosecutor’s cross-examination assumed the following shape. 
I may say, in the first place, we proved that the animal was in a perfect state 
of health at 10.30 the night previous, and was found almost dead from stran¬ 
gulation at 3*30 a.m. 
In cross-examination by the town clerk, assisted professionally by the 
M.R.C.V.S.— 
Question. Did you examine the lungs, and what method did you adopt ? 
Answer. I did, in the customary method, with my hands and eyes. 
Question. Did you make a section in the lungs ? Answer. I did not con¬ 
sider it necessary to make a section, being so conversant with the unmistak¬ 
able appearances of congested lungs from strangulation, having had two 
cases immediately preceding this one; when once seen, can never be 
forgotten. 
Question. Would you believe the lungs to become dark in colour ? 
Answer. I would, from the fact that glandular substance, highly congested 
with blood and exposed to the atmospheric influences for a short time, soon 
assumes a different aspect, and might have the appearance and consistency of 
tar when cut into. 
Question. Was the heart flabby ? Ansiver. Yes. 
Question. Do you consider a flabby heart fit for food ? Question. It 
depends on the predisposing causes and the surroundings of the case. 
Question. What are the predisposing causes in this case ? Answer. This 
poor animal was hung by the neck, probably for a number of hours, struggling 
with pangs of death to relieve itself, and in the greatest state of excitement 
and perspiration, until eventually it had to succumb to its fate, almost tho¬ 
roughly exhausted, is sufficient, in my mind, to soften the heart of any animal, 
and for it to remain so. 
