SPECIAL INTERVIEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10434, 5 May 1897, Page 3

SPECIAL INTERVIEWS.

CANCER AND CONSUMPTION. AND THE NECESSITY FOR THE INSPECTION OP MEAT. 'or some time pasta good deal of atten-, ion has been devoted to the increase of onsumption and cancer, especially the liter, in this colony, and many medical ien have expressed the opinion that unless reventive measures are promptly taken to afeguard the life and health of the people

Rom these dread diseases, the consequences rill be serious. Many causes are ascribed 'or the rapid manner in which both diseases lare spread, but while opinion) on this iead differ, ib is generally admitted that b is absolutely necessary, in the nterests of the health of the public hat meat should be inspected both iefore and after killing. Recently a epresentative of the Herald had an interiew with Mr. W. R. Snowball, M.R.C.V.S., vho has been appointed inspector of the lublic abattoirs erected by the Dunedin Jity Council for the purpose of ensuring he supply of wholesome meat to the inmbitanta of that city. Mr. Snowball ttended the Royal Veterinary College of vondon, where he graduated, and for four rears was assistant inspector of food for the jity of Aberdeen; so that ho can speak with some authority on the subject. " Have you paid any particular attention o the meat supply of this colony ?" was teked. "Yes," was the response. "I have ;iven the matter a good deal of attenion, and without in any way wishing 0 alarm people, 1 inusb say that) f they only knew what is ab times supplied to them by retailers (quite unintentionally I freely admit, because butchers are not [veterinary surgeons), there would be an immediate demand for the establishment bf public abattoirs, where the mead for taublic consumption is killed under the luperintendence of an expert whose training enublee him to detect and reject all diseased meat. My experience of the cities (I do not refer to any place in particular) I of New Zealand is that the quality of some of fcht meat supplied—especially mutton—is of thi very pooresb, innutritious, and, in many cales, diseased and not fit for human consumption ; and the health of the public demands that some means should be adopted st that consumers may have some guarantee that the meat retailed to them is entirely (ree from disease." "Do your remarks in this connection tpply only to mutton ?" "Decidedly not. They bare a general ! application to all meat purchased for human consumption. Referring .epeoially, to beef, 1 may say that tuberculosis (consumption) is highly prevalent, and it behoves the people ot New Zealand to give the matter their serious consideration, and ask themselves whether it is advisable they should continue to run these risks when the preventive measures are so easy and efficient? Deaths from consumption are increasing to sich an extenb that in New South Wales it has been decided to prevent the spread rf the disease in every way poesible, while in America feeling on this question hae run so high that they have been seriously considering the necessity of isolating consumptive patients in a special hospital. It is generally admitted that consumption is an infectious, and therefore a preventable disease, caused by the bacillus tuberculosis; and when the flesh of animal? affected by tuberculosis is retailed to the public, is it nob time that the people of New Zealand recognised the danger and took euitable measures to prevent the spread of consumption by this means ab any rate ? Dairy stock should also receive special attention, for milk from a cow affected by tubercle is perhaps moro dangerous than the flesh j and if we are to preserve our health ib will be necessary that dairy >tock should be inspected from time to time." "You have referred to tuberculosis in cattle, and the danger of spreading consumption by retailing to the public the meat of animals so affected. Do your remarks apply also to cancer ?" "Well, so far ray experience has been that cancer, though increasing to an alarming extent, is nob so prevalent in cattle. Actinomycosis (known also as lumpy jaw) ie frequently to be meb with in cattle, and the uninitiated sometimes mistake this for cancer, bub it has been proved beyond a doubt that actinomycosis is a different disease. But don'b conclude from my remarks that cancer is seldom eeen. As I said before, I am no sensation-monger, and have no desire to exaggerate matters. 1 say that cancer is uot so prevalent in cattle as tuberculosis, but there are plenty of cancerous cattle, and in many instances cancerous mead has been purchased from butchers and consumed." " And what do you suggest as a remedy? queried our reporter. "The establishment of public abattoir! in every city in New Zealand. If the public could only be made to take the interest in this important matter that its bearing upon the health of the inhabitants demands; if they could but realise that disease and death are being spread about by the consumption of meat totally unfit to be used as food for human beings, it would be a good thing for New Zealand and her people. A mistaken idea prevails that abattoirs are detrimental to the slaughteryard; proprietors and to the butchers. The slaughterman's work would not be interfered with; the butchers' business would be improved. All that is desired is that municipal bodies erect suitable buildings for the killing of meat for human consumption to take the place of the dirty shambles at present in use, the meat to be inspected both before and after killing by officers whose training renders them competent to dotect and rejecb diseased animals." • "What"would the erection of suitable abattoirs cost, and could they be made selfsupporting?" was asked. " The cost of erecting a suitable building one similar to that now being erectedby tbt Dunedin City Council—would be £7000. I have not the slightest doubt that in cities ' containing 40,000 people abattoirs could be made entirely self-supporting. If the public only recognise the importance of the matter the erection of abattoirs become easy. This question is receiving a good de»l of attention in other cities besides Dunedin. In Wellington the matter has been engaging serious attention, and many appear to think that it will not be long before abattoirs are established there."