Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-24
Foot and Mouth Disease,

1t will not do to fiatter ourselves that we have
got rid of this disease simply because the excite
ment about it has subsidized. The virus or pois-
on, which had infected the cattle yards Of Alba
ny and Brighton, remained latent while the
ground was frozen in January and February,
but cattle exposed in those yards after the
ground opened from the frost, took the disease
in the same acute form, and rendered the contin-
uance of rigid sanitary measures imperatively
necessary, making it probable also, that not
withstanding the restrictions put upon trade by
the cattle commissioners the disease will linger
among us for many months to come, if not per-
manently to plague the owners of neat stock.
Meantime the board of health instituted a Sc
rieS of experiments and investigations by which
the highly contagious nature Of the disease was
proved beyond all question, and though fatal
termination is uncommon, the use OF the milk
of diseased COWS has been followed not only "by
LESSONS of the mouth and intestnes, but also by
a well marked cutaneous eruption" causing
more or less distress. SIN one family, the mem
bers of which partook freely of milk from this
source, peculiar disease broke out in the course
of five or six days, causing at the same time
similar and well marked symptoms in no less
than three individuals, all adults. These symp-
toms consisted of loss of appetite, nausea slight
acceleration of the pulse swelling of the tonsils
and sub-maXillary glands, the appearance of a
few vesicles upon the lips and tongue, and
singular cutaneous eruption on the lower ex-
tremities, consisting of clusters of papules, ves-
cles, pustules and ulcers of different sizes-the
latter characterized by dark red color, while
their peripheral margin was slightly elevated
and inaamed. These appearances in varied
stages of development, were all seen at one and
the same time, indicating that fresh outbreak
of YeSlces was taking place as rapidly
as the old ones disappeared. In each in
stance the eruption was confined to one limb, in
two instances appearing upon the front and side
of the thigh, and in the other just below the
knee, and although attended by no great consti-
tutlonal disturbance, was nevertheless rather
tedious in its progress, lasting six or seven
weeks" This was a family in Brighton.
These facts, perfectly well authenticated, are
sufficiently conclusive; but, to test the specific
nature of the eruptions caused in this way by
drinking OF the milk of cows affected with the
disease, the virus or lymph was taken on quilts
from the vesicles of one Of the persons above
mentioned and transferred to the bodies of two
young rabbits In two days the inner surface of
the lips was swollen and covered with bloody
discharge. Small white specks soon appeared
on the inhamed spots, and the animals were
seized with commissions and died, one in two,
the other in four days after incubation.
On the 10th of February 1871, portions of the
same lymph taken from one of the persons al
luded to, were introduced by the ordinary pro-
cess OF incubation, into the arm of a healthy
man, when III two DAYS vesicles formed at two
of the three points of incubation. In four or
five days more, these vesicles attained the size of
u hpIG pea anu WtIG IuDluItu, uuu unhealthy
looking ulcers appeared in their places, and
these continued to enlarge. Twelve days after
the incubation these ulcers gave no indication
Of healthy action, thus leaving no doubt as to
the contagiousness Of the disease.
Though far less fatal than the well known
pleuro-pneumonia, which was imported and
disseminated among us few years ago, yet
when complicated with other organic difficult
ties it has been fatal to cattle; and we know of
many losses by death, cases which have not, for
various reasons, been reported to the public,
but which prove the serious nature of the
malady and the importance of taking every
possible and legitimate measure to eradicate it
from our midst.
| :. This, like pleuro-pneumonia, is an imported
olsease 1t was brought into Canada from Eu-
rope, IN August last, and though the journals
u Sanada have strenuously denied that it has
eVea existed there, It is perfectly well known to
lave arrived there in the summer of 1870. The
name OF the owner and importer of the stock,
Tue name OF the vessel which brought the cattle
ana introduced the disease even the number of the
car oy winch the disease was first brought from
Quebec TO Compton, Canada East. are Derfectly
well known, SO that there is no doubt and can
be none, in the mind OF any intelligent man,
that it is foreign and imported disease.--Mas.
sachusetts Ploughnan,