Manamatu Herald. SATURDAY, APRIL 18,1891. Diseased Meat.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 18 April 1891, Page 2

Manamatu Herald. SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1891. Diseased Meat.

The laws set forth in Leviticus as to what beasts, fishes and fowls may be or not be, eaten by the Jews, have been shown by the present day knowledge, to have been founded on the special knowledge of what was best on sanitary grounds. " Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat." " Whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat," but other animals, and scaleless fishes are declared to be unclean. The Jews have kept themselves thoroughly distinct, and as a rule, healthy and long-lived, through the observance of the Mosaic law, and the information given by the Rev. H. Van Staveren as to the inspection of their meat, proves the practical advantage of such care, What the Jews refuse, frequently gets eaten by the Gentile. We cannot help urging that gomething may come of the inquiry, as it is decidedly horrible to fear that with ! any mouthful you may jtake, you may be introducing some fell disease into your system. We cannot blame the butchers, as it has been shown that not only is a minute inspection of the inside of an animal necessary, but that it must be made by experienced persons. There are so many animals, fishes and birds now consumed, that are forbidden under the Mosaic law, that it would be most interesting to know whether it< has been on account of their being in themselves objectionable, or owing to the texture of the flesh, more liable in warm climates, to be the home of disease. The Rev. A, Chodowski has furnished the Christchurch Weekly Press with further information on the subject of inspection of meat. He says that the Jews cannot eat

flesh and milk, or butter together. Fish are not excluded from the foods to be examined. He referred to the fact that many of the inhabitants of Nova Scotia are lepers, and that they eat as common food crayfish, lobsters, and several varieties of fish which are. forbidden by the .Jewish, writers. Mr Chodowski states that during the last ten years the leading physiologists and physicians have come to the conclusion that tuberculosis and many other diseases are communicable from animals io man. He is confident that milk requires quite as much inspection as meat. Sheep iri the winter, he states; Suffer; greatly from inflammation of; the lungs. Sometimes the lungs are covered with tuberculosis. Calves, on the contrary, are generally healthy. Mr Chodowski maintains that he has absolute proof that in at least three slaughter - houses in Christchurch sheep have been killed and sent out as mutton which he would have rejected. He considers also that, as in certain diseases it is difficult to distinguish the symptoms, it would be almost impossible for any unskilled person to say whether meat was fit for food; and that' although the generality of butchers might be very careful, they could not actually guarantee that all the meat they sold was free from disease. In spite of the opinion of practical men, that a more rigid inspection of animals at Addington Saleyards would secure the public against diseased meat, he considers a post-mot tern examination of the animal absolutely necessary to obtain definite proof of the meat being sound. Mr Chodowski then referred to trichinosis and other well known diseases in pigs. And after remarking that the Egyptians and Phoenicians abstained from the flesh of swine, concluding his interesting conversation by stating as his emphatic opinion that all meat sold for food in Christchurch should be submitted to rigorous inspection, and that it was the duty of the responsible people in public offices or Government to see that this was done, for mlm populi suprema lex."