Report of the Committee appointed by the Admiralty to consider the humane slaughtering of animals, with appendix.

  • Great Britain. Committee on Humane Slaughtering of Animals.
Date:
1904
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Committee appointed by the Admiralty to consider the humane slaughtering of animals, with appendix. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    506. 1759-60. 455 ; 565; 5 1029. 1050. 12738 1681. oOo 1274. 52 99 ; 100-2. 600 ; 740-8. 858-9, 920 ; 1026 ; 1260; 1269 ; 1284; 1424; 1517; 1589. 1567. 360-3. 698 ; 706. 929 ; 1564. 1676. 6 REPORT ; 5. (4) In aadition to studying the theory of the subject, the Committee have made several personal visits to slaughter-houses, and have witnessed various methods of killing actually in force, including the Jewish system, and have also conducted practical experiments to test alternative methods. In these investigations they have been assisted by the advice of Sir Michael Foster, K.C.B., F.R.S., M.P., and Professor E. H. Starling, F.R.S., Professor of Physiology at University College, London, a summary of whose reports will be found in Appendices B. and J. (b) A Sub-Committee of the Committee was deputed to visit a number of representative abattoirs in Germany and Switzerland, in order to verify the conclusions derived from a study of the best foreign regulations, and to practically test the methods employed. The Report of this Sub-Committee is contained in Appendix C. GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS. 6. As a result of the foregoing inquiries and investigations, the Committee are of opinion that the methods of slaughter existing in this country are capable of considerable improvement, and they have come to the following veneral conclusions :— (a) All animals, without exception, should be stunned, or otherwise rendered unconscious, before blood is drawn. ‘This is actually the law in Denmark, many parts of Germany, and Switzerland, and therefore cannot be considered an impracticable condition. It has the great merit of comprehensiveness and simplicity, and, if carried out, makes the subsequent operations of slaughter of comparative unimportance from the standpoimt of humanity. The detailed methods proposed to carry out this primary condition in the case of the various animals will be referred to subsequently. (See para. 10.) (>) In the interests not only of humanity, but of sanitation, order, and ultimate economy, it is highly desirable that, where circumstances permit, private slaughter- houses should be replaced by public abattoirs, and that no killing should be permitted except in the latter, under official supervision. Such a change as this could only be brought about gradually and by legislation, but it cannot be described as impracticable, in view of the fact that this system is prescribed by law in several Continental countries and is actually enforced in the city of Edinburgh. (c) There should be an efficient system of inspection and supervision of all slaughter-houses, whether public or private, by the local authority, and uniformity in methods of slaughter should be introduced and enforced as far as possible. (7) All slaughtermen, and others employed in or about slaughter- houses, should be licensed by the local authority. The Committee have carefully considered the question as to whether the licence should par- take of the nature of a certificate of proficiency, but they recommend that, for the present at any rate, it should be merely permissive (like the present licence for motor drivers), having as its main value the power of withdrawal in case of cruelty, incompetence, or misconduct. Only a nominal fee should be charged for a licence. |The Committee have received a good deal of evidence to show that the institution of licences would not only be desirable from a general standpoint, but would also be received with favour by the trade.* * The Committee are glad to note that the class of men employed in slaughtering work, at any rate in large establishments, has greatly improved of late years, and for the greater part they now appear to be both highly trained and well paid.