The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-01-17
Foot and Month Disease of Cattle in
Connecticut.


BYT 8. GOLD, WEST CORNWALL, sEc'Y CON
NRcTTcUT STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.
Having learned that this disease was
prevailing in several towns in Litchfield
and Fairfield Counties, 1 have made dill.
gent inquiry, and find it confined to three
towns, Kent, Milford,, and Sherman
1t was introduced into Kent and New.
Milford by drove of steers brought from
Albany on the cars to Poughkeepsie, and
driven thence to Connecticut on the 2lst
Of November last. Some of these steers
showed signs of the disease on the way,
and with single exception, all had the
disease. Other cattle that came in con-
tact with them that used the yards they
had occupied, or drank from the same wa
tering-places, took the disease, and gave it
to others. Every case in Kent and New.
Milford, and it has been on six farms, is
easily traced, and its contageou. charac c.
ter fully established
In-Sherman it has appeared on six
farms, and here also there are many cases,
proving its contagious nature, yet its
origin cannot, in all cases, be as clearly
traced. The period of incubation -.
that is, the time that elapses from time
Of exposure to the outbreaking of the
disease-varies from four to six days.
The first symptoms are copious drooling
or slabbering, general stiffness of the limbs
tongue discolored, and with the mouth
and nose blistered, accompanied with an
inability to eat Later, the skin of the
mouth, tongue, and nose peels off, an
eruption and cracking appear about tie
heels and bewteen the toes, discharging
fetid adhesive matter. In the early sta
ges, the excrements are hard and scanty.
Later, loose even to securing in the last
stage indicating convalesence. The skin
and diseased matter about the feet peel
off, also the skin of the bag and teats,
and the animals lick themselves excess
lively. The symptoms vary both in sever
lty and character, yet are sufficiently uni.
aiken. "
No cattle have died, yet some having
refused food for seven days have, Of
course, been much reduced. The milk
diminishes, and in severe cases entirely
fails, and the teats are hard and puffy.
the number that have to this date been
affected in Connecticut exceeds one hun
dred and sixty. The milk has been given
to swine without apparent injury, and in
one case four calves were being sucked
on diseased cows, and still appeared to
remain healthy.
Various remedies have been tried, and
found unavailng to stop the progress of
the disease. AS soon as the mouth be-
gins to get over its soreness, they are
greedy for salt, and it has been given with
apparent benefit. A soft bran-mush will
be eaten where they can take no dry or
hard food, and is the best nourishment
they can have. A rigid quarantine of all
diseased or exposed animals is the only
means to prevent the spread of the disease,
which it seems can be communicated by
the saliva, the excrement, the matter and
exfoliation from the feet or other parts of
the body. As the animals recover, if we
thoroughly disinfect the stables and
yards with carbolic acid we may hope to
become entirely rid Of this plague before
it becomes established among US.