Litchfield enquirer., 1871-01-05
The New Cattle Disease.

The New Cattle Disease.
 Secretary Gold publishes the following letter regarding the new cattle disease in the C0urant:--
 To tie EDITOR of THE CoURANT:- A contagious disease called Epizootic | ADtka or foot and mosstb disease, has broken l ont in several places in this state as well as 1 in the adjoining states of New York and Massachusetts. Ihave visited all the farms
 in Kent, New Milford and Sherman where
 the disease has appeared. Its contagious
 nature is fully proved by my own observa-
 tions. thus establishing with it's character
 istic symptoms, it's identity with the disehse
 existing in Great Britain.
 Friday, Nov. 18th, drover, Mir. Seymour
 Woolsey, bought drove of cattle in AL
 bany, brought them on the cars to Pough- keepsie and on Monday, the 21st. they were driven to Connecticut. Some were sold in Dover, the rest were sold or placed on one farm in Kent, and three farms in New Milford. Soon after their arrival all these steers, with single exception, had the distemper, a few showing some symp- toms during their journey.
 This drove distributed the disease in Do- yer, and every case in Kent and New Mill ford is plainly traced to them. Its conta- gious nature being early established it has been mostly confined to the farms to which these steers were brought.
 In Kent, John Straight has had thirty nine sick and Henry Straight thirty two; in New Milford, Horace Merwin has had six teen cases; Nelson Warehouse fifteen steers all from the drove; Whiting Bradley five and Nicholas Edmonds eighteen steers all from the drove. These animals are all con valescent, few of the cases having been severe.
 In Sherman it exists on six farms and it's origin and progress cannot in all cases be as clearly traced. Hence proper quarantine of infected cattle is neglected, and cases still occur.
 My record shows sixty-eight cases in Sherman, and in Litchfeld county one hundred and fifteen. None of the animals have died, though some have been very sick. The most noticeable symptoms are, in the first stages, soreness of the mouth, refusing food, excessive slavering or drool- ing, general stiffness of the limbs; in milch cows the bag is affected and the milk fails; blisters appear about the nose, bag, and an eruption about the heels. Later, discolor- ed skin peels off from the nose, tongue and roof of the mouth and the bag, fgtid mat ter runs from the heels and between the toes, more or less fever is manifested, with shivering or trembling The peeling off of the skin or cuticle from the affected parts, and the ability to eat, indicate re- covery.
 The disease is most severe and injurious to milch COWS. especially when there is 8 full flow of milk. Here the bag is often at- tackled, becomes swollen and painful, as in garget. Treatment consists in palliative measures. A warm bran mash or gruel, given through horn or bottle, will SUD- port the strength and loosen the bowels. They will eat salt greedily when their mouths are not very sore, and this should be supplied.
 The general fever, as we'll as the local af- fections, with inability to eat, of course re- duces the flesh rapidly; but recovery soon begins, and is completed in from one to three weeks. I find no case iu this state where other animals have been affected; but in other places, sheep, swine and other animals, and even man, have been attacked. The milk should not be used for any pur pose.
 Every precaution should be taken to se- cure the perfect insolation of infected herds.- As ezary form of secretion for the sick may convey the disease, cars, yards and stables which they have occupied, and roads where they have passed. may commu- nicate it. As it may adhere to the cloth. ing of attendants, the most careful precau' ton should in all cases be exercised.
 The stalls should be disinfected by the use of carbolic acid or some other disinfec. Ftant. A weak solution of the same is ad- lvised as an application to the feet. As a most perfect prophylatic or preventative, sulphurons acid is reeommendad and if is also alleged to be curative. Whenever cattle are sick or have been exposed, fumi- gate the stable by burning an ounce or so of birthstone or sulphur on live coals in a suitable dish twice a day, allowing the fumes to penetrate the coats of the beasts and everywhere else about the premises; the air to be strongly impregnated as can we'll be borne by the attendant. The pe- riod of incubation or time from exposure to the breaking out of the disease, varies from four to six days.
 The disease appears to have come to AL bany from Canada, The authorities of New York will control what they now have and hope to prevent it's further introduction.