HH62/2/RENFRE/67

Transcription

[Page] 66

middens, and to require the substitution of privy-middens, as small
as possible, protected by a roof from sun and rain, well ventilated,
so constructed that the excreta and ashes mingle, and so arranged
that they can be reconstructed as privy-receptacles, when the time
comes, at the least possible cost. But there remains another evil.
Suppose a proprietor has provided a fairly efficient privy-midden.
The tenants, heedless and dirty, may convert it into a vile nuisance
within a fortnight: slops are thrown into the ashpit until it is seeth-
ing, and the interior and precincts of the privy are covered with
filth. One shrugs their shoulders in despair. For unless a policeman
were stationed in permanence over every privy-midden, it is impos-
sible to prove that any one or other of the tenants is responsible for
the causation of the nuisance; and no nuisance would be committed
while the policeman was about. The Public Health Acts Amend-
ment Act, 1890, has a most useful provision, whereby all the tenants
can be summoned, in such a case, as parties to the nuisance, and this
provision is found effective; nor is any injustice involved, because if
any tenant can show that others were responsible for the nuisance,
he, of course, escapes. As a matter of fact, however, the tenants, in
such cases, are all involved; a tenant of another way of thinking
would not long remain in such vicinity. Unfortunately, however,
and apparently because there was no one to direct attention to the
omission, the Act does not apply to Scotland, being only operative in
England and Ireland.

MEAT INSPECTION.

Something was done in this department of work during the year,
but it promises to be a fruitful source of labour for the next year or
two, as it has come to my knowledge that a considerable trade in
diseased meat is being carried on in the county, which has never been
touched in the past. A good deal of time was spent without corres-
ponding result in watching this interesting traffic; the gentlemen
who devote their attention to it are extremely wide-awake, and the
meshes of the law are large. Our efforts, however, were not utterly
unavailing. Early in the year, when I was the only representative
of the County Health Department, I received intimation from the
Paisley Authorities that a suspicious-looking cow had been seen led
out of the town in the direction of Barrhead. It was then after
dark, and I contented myself, having obtained the sanction of the

[Page] 67

Chief Constable, with telephoning to the county police inspector at
Barrhead asking him to have the animal tracked, and to let me know
if anything particular happened before morning. Early next morn-
ing I learnt that the animal had been followed to its destination in
Neilston. I proceeded thither, and found the carcase in a shed there
with a constable on guard. The purchaser had killed and dressed
the animal, but had kept all the organs for my inspection. It
appeared from his explanation that he had made the purchase rather
for the purpose of scientific experiment then otherwise - he wanted
to see what the animal would look like when cut up. He made no
difficulty about my formally 'seizing' the carcase, which was badly
tuberculosed, and I had it immediately carbolised so as to render it
impossible of sale for food; there were not sufficient grounds, legally,
for any further proceedings.
'From information received' I arranged with the County Veterin-
ary Inspector and the County Sanitary Inspector to make a descent,
one dark night in the early winter, upon a slaughter-house at Barr-
head. The scene presented to our view was weird, but not without
a picturesqueness of its own. In a comparatively small room, by the
light of a couple of dip candles, the carcases of 12 cows could be seen,
suspended from the roof, ready dressed; a quartered carcase hung on
the walls, and another was in process of being dressed. The floor
was floating almost knee-deep with the viscera of deceased animals.
Upon a careful examination of the carcases, in consultation with the
County Veterinary Inspector, I decided to seize the carcases of three
animals, one of which had evidently died, or been on the point of
dying, of some acute inflammatory disease; the two others were
extensively tuberculosed. Mr. Little had the carcases removed to
the Paisley public slaughterhouse. We examined 12 pairs of lungs
found on the premises, and found no fewer than 7 to be more or less
affected by tuberculosis. The parties at first were disposed to show
fight, but subsequently submitted to an order of the sheriff's to have
the carcases 'dipped.' It was much to be regretted that the matter
could not be pursued further, but in view of the fact that the princi-
pals were not present when the carcases were dressed, I was advised
that further proceedings might fail. I need hardly say that matters
will not be allowed to rest thus. I hope to be able to report next
year that the traffic in diseased meat within the county has been
rendered comparatively unprofitable.