The accommodation for discharging, lairing, slaughtering and storing at the foreign animals' wharfs, Birkenhead / by Francis Vacher.

  • Vacher, Francis, 1843-1914.
Date:
[1882]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The accommodation for discharging, lairing, slaughtering and storing at the foreign animals' wharfs, Birkenhead / by Francis Vacher. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    THE ACCOMMODATION AT THE FORErON ANIMALS' WHARFS, BIRKENHEAD, TriR extreme contagiousness of many epizootic diseases is Avell known, and I haA’e more than once drawn attention to the possibility of such diseases being communicated to the consumer of infected meat. I think, therefore, no apology is needed for my seeking to occupy the attention of an Association of Medical Officers of Plealtli Avith some account of the extenslAm buildings for sheltering, inspecting, and slaughtering cattle arriving from infected countries, Avhich have been provided on the Cheshire side of the ISlersey in the course of the last four yeai'S. I shall, at the same time, note the provision made for landing and fonA’'arding free cattle. The Avhole accommodation includes the premises at Wallasey, at Woodside, and at the Alfred Dock. The preparation of a AA'liarf on the north side of Wallasey Dock AA^as begun in Novembe)-, 1878, but little ])rogress Avas made Avith the Avork for three months. About this time disease Avas discovered in a cargo of American cattle landed at Liverpool, and the United States Avere in consequence included in the schedule of infected countries under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, 1878. It AA'as then thought desirable to get this ]Alace constituted a P'oreign Animals’ Wharf under this Act, and to erect such buildings as might be necessary for the slaughter of the animals landed. ^ Tavo lairage sheds of brick (ii jiortion of tlie original design) Avere accordingly completed Avithout delay, and a light wooden erection, to serve as a slaughter house, was built at a convenient distance in the rear. The lairages adjoin one another, each shed measuring 202 feet by (32 feet. ParaJel to these is the slaughter-house, it measures l8l feet by 27 feet, and is separated from the sheds by a yard 40 feet Avide These buildings Averc in use early in March, 18^9, and in the course of the same month the two Avestern lairage sheds Avere completed. Thc<e ineasure 190 feet by 62 feet each. The four sheds too-ethor give accommodation to 1,000 head of cattle. The'avIioIc provision yet proving insufficient for the requirements of the cattle trade, tAvo of the sheds lately erected on the riiiay of the Wallasey Dock were set apart for the service of the i orcigu Animals Wharl. Each of these sheds measures