HUMANE SLAUGHTER [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Dr. Pesel
states in the Spectator that an animal, after a blow from the humane killer, is not physiologically dead, as its heart still beats, and he expresses his surprise, therefore, that the Jews, a humane people, object to this weapon.
It is open to question whether in every case the " stunning " stops at that ; to the layman it would appear that unless the power which works the weapon is so delicately regulated as to suit the vitality and bone structure of every individual animal it must in some cases deliver a fatal blow. But this point is unessential from the Jewish point of view. Dr. Pesel falls into a very common and natural error in not appreciating that the Jewish method of slaughter (a single swift deep cut with a knife sharper than a razor) is an integral part of the Jewish religion and that Jews may not eat of " stunned " meat. They do not object to the humane killer, but they do object to any endeavour to force upon them the use of a weapon which would put them to the alternative of violating an essential of their religion or abstaining from meat.
The Jewish method is the oldest humane method of slaughter in the world. As to its humanity, I have taken the liberty of posting to Dr. Pesel a copy of the up-to-date report of Prof. Sir Wm. Bayliss, F.R.S., on the subject. Surely, there is plenty of room for more than one humane method of slaughter-
Solicitor to the Board.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews, 23 Finsbury Square, London, E.C. 2.
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