Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-11-20
NO. ,.
THE EPIZOOTIC DfsTEMPER.
How it Affects man-What the Ccmrni
stoner of agriculture Says About Ii


How it Affects Man-What the Ccm,niss
stoner of Agriculture SAYS About 1t
In the annual report of the Commits
sioner of Agriculture there is an inter
esting and valuable article on the
epizootic aphtha, which broke out in
this country in 1870. Tt SAYS that
though no unbroken chain of evidence
corcernh1g the source of that outbreak
is Forthcoming, no oneaequaihted with
the nature of the disease can for a mo.
ment doubt that it was imported from
Europe. Though certainly prevailing
III Central Europe for nearly two cen
turies, 1t reached Great Britain only if,.
1889, Denmark Ill 1871, and America
in 1870. No atmospheric or climate
changes would account for such results.
Diseases like influenza, which appear
to be due to such vicissitudes, sweep
over simultaneously, or nearly so.
our continents ana islands, and
even ships in mid ocean; where
as this is circumscribed for CEN
turles by a narrow sea or q well-guarded
neck Of land, and crosses only when
the victims arc allowed to pass. More
over, in each OF these cases a definite
Importation can be traced Cattle
shipped frons an English port in
August showed signs of the disease
when two days at sea, and landed APP
parently we'll, but conveyed 1t to the
stock arfiotlg which they were placed on
their arrival Id Catada. Whether it
spread from this point, or whether
there was another Importation, there
is no evidence to show. Its existence
was reported at Oriskany, Oneida
county, in September, about the time
of the State Agricultural show at Utica,
supposed to have been brought by
Canadian cattle, but subsequent in
quiry has failed to- afford anything
more than report for this alleged ori-
gin. At different times from the 18th
of November to tlte 7th of December
it was brought into duchess county
by five separate droves from albany,
which. had been carried east on tie
New YoIis Gentral Railroad. It pre-
vailed extensively, and caused great
losses at Armenia, Pawling, South Do
yer. Dover Plains, and La Grange.
From Uucaess county it was conveyed
into Connecticut, ana spread widely
IL New Milford, Kent and Sherman
1t was also conveyed to the valley OF
the Connecticut river, and spread in
the town5 Of Hadley, Northampton
and East Hampton. Tbs disease was
also conveyed to Brighton, Mass.
and spread extensively around B0sz
ton, Concord. Ipswich, Newburyport,
Acton, etc, reaching some points in
New HAMPSHIRE.
The only cause of itself capable Of
inducing the disease is contagion or
contact of sound animal with the
virus disohatged from the sores OF an
aphthous patient. Many accessory
causes may be named, such ;ts g vef
muddy season, which lnsures the con
tact of the virus deposited on the soil
with the skin about the tops of the
hoofs the accumulation of cattle In
large fairs 81 markets; travel of stock
by rail or road. and the iilte. Yet these
are but means OF the diffusion Of the
poison, while no one of them, nor all
taken together, can call the disease
into existence where the poison is not
already present. Though present in
Europe during or after almost every
great war since 1795, it did not
reach Great Britaiif uhtil 1889, when it
was brought by Dutch cattle imported
into London. In 1871 it il
first reported in Denmark.
The list Of real causes is narrowed
down to the simple contact of the virus
With healthy animal. 1t is often car
ried On tbs tlothes, boots and hands of
men; on the fbres Of hay or straw
preserved on the walls, floors, hangers
and other fittings of buildings; on sta
BILE utter siIs; in yards, parks, roads
and railroad cars on drinking troughs
or it may i'e carried on the legs or bod
les of dogs, chickens, rats and other
animals, while themselves escape the
infiiction. In short, any solid body
may retain and be bearer OF this con-
tagio1lj
i i
It's transmission to man has 5ten no.
ticed during almost every great out
break sincesthat of 1885 It has been
reported, among others, by Valentine,
Nadberny, Xeirtsky, Kolb. Hesturg,
Rayer, Bosunet, Loude, Sevigny, Dun
dressy, Hubner, Holmes, Balfour, Kar-
kee, and Watson. Cases of the disease
in IRAN were seen in Albany and at
South Dover, Duchess county, n: Y,
during the outbreak OF 1870. 1t shows
itself in man by slight fevefishness,
ana the formation on the tongue and
inside this lips and cheeks, and some
times of the hsad, of small blisters,
rarely amounting to the bulk OF fen
til. In children and young animals
feeding exclusively on milk, dirrahoea
and fatal inflammation OF the stomach
and bowels occasionally supervene. On
chickens it has been frequently notlced
among others by Hennicke, Lagar,
Lamberlecchi, Dickens and Youatt-
Chickens were attacked in December,
1879, on the farm of Mr.. Eighms,. La
Gran sc, butehsss coanty, n. 7. Drink nj
ing the castaway milk is probably, the
common cause. Dogs and cats have
been noticed by Lagar, Younghus-
band, and others to suffer from drink