National Republican., 1883-08-03
CATTLE COMMISSION REPORT.
Interesting Facts Rofutlng the Charge OF
Infectious Diseases In American Cattle.

NhAtctAONs A1ththsth III AmeElCuh NuNNles
Tho treasury cattle commission has made
the following report to the Treasury depart
ment in regard to the alleged existence of the
foot and mouth disease among the cattle in
this country.
Charges having been recently made in the
British parliament that cattle were being
shipped from our ports infected with the foot
and mouth disease, and q majority Of the
house of commons having voted for reso-
luton opposing the importation into Great
Britain of cattle from any country in which
said disease exists we feel 1t our duty to state
the facts of the case as far Gs this country is
concerned. After a most extended and al
most exhaustive inquiry, your commission
have boon able to find no trace of foot and
mouth disease apart from herds Just landed
from Great Britain and whole herds have been
in every case segregated until the infection
has entirely disappeared. The nature and
scope OF our inquiry may bo deducod from
our report for 1881. Beginning with tho
great rendezvous of cattle at Kansas City,
Council Bluffs and Omaha, we have made
careful investigations along the lines of cat
tie traffic as far as the eastern seaboard. In
this investigation we have included all the
great stockyards where cattle are detained
for feeding watering, sale, &C., all the great
feeding stables connected with distillerics
| ana Bt0rcn, glucose ana Other taCtOrleS, all
| the city dairies where stockyards exist, and
where the herds are rcplenished from such
stockyards, and to a large extent the great
dairying districts into which cows are drawn
from the above named stockyards and lines
of travel.
Up to tho present date we have made OBJ
| servatiOns in the stock yards at the scabOard,
tho terminal end of our cattle traffic, and
that to which all infection must gravtate,
but apart from the imported cases above re-
ferred to we have been unable to find single
case of the foot and mouth disease com
planned of.
Tho significance of the entire absence of
this disease along the whole line Of our cattle
traffic, and in the herds into which this
traffic leads can only be appreciated when
considered in its relations to the nature of
the disease and the unmistakable symptoms
by which it is manifested. The following
points are specially to be notei
l. Tho foot and mouth disease is per-
haps the most contagious malady known. II
rarely enters herd without striking down
all the members of that herd stimuli. 'neously,
or nearly 80.
2. The susceptibility to the disease is all
but universal on the part of warm blooded
animals, but all cloven footed animals are
especially and about equally predisposed to
it. IL cannot be overlooked nor covered up,
therefore, as can q disease which confines
its ravages to single genus butsheep, goats,
infection, contract and manifest the disease
as easily, and in as marked a way, as do cat
tie.
3. The period of latency or incubation is
remarkably short, the eruption Of the mall
ady often taking place in thirty-six hours,
and rarely being delayed, even in cold
weather, beyond six days after exposure to
injection. There is, therefore, no opportunity
for concealment, nor for the disposal of in
fected, but still apparently sound, animals
while journey of four or six days from
the west, with the attendant privations and
febrile excitement, would infallibly deter
mine the full eruption Of the disease before
the stock arrived at the eastern seaboard, and
this although the infection had only been re-
ceived after shipment on the cars.
4. The manifestation of the disease is not
only so universal in the herd affected, but so
prominent and unmistakable that it could
not possibly be overlooked. No one could
ignore for moment the swollen digists, the
lameness, and the blisters, ulcers between the
hoois, the heat, tenderness, swelling, and
blisters or raw sores on the udder and teats,
and the abundant frothing and slobbering at
the mouth, the frequent loud smacking noise
made with the tongue and palate and the
large wounded blisters or red, angry sores on
the mucous membrane Of the mouth.
These cannot escape the attention of the
owners and attendants, and especially when
o whole herd of ten, fifty, or one hundred are
su ffering simultaneously. Much less can they
escape the instructed eye of the professional
veterinarian. In this connection it may be
we'll to state that the invasion of foot and
mouth disease that swept from Canada over
northern New York and New England in
1871 created something closely approaching
panic. The agricultural papers were full of
the subject. State boards of agriculture con-
veued and discussed the subject con-
vcntion of delegates from different states
met at Albany. N Y, and it was the en-
crossing theme for every local farmers club
along the lines of infection. This invasion,
imported into Montreal with two English
COWS, fortunately occurred in autumn, and
the long seclusion of the herds during the
ensuing winter virtually stamped it out, the
infection not having extended beyond herds
in inclosed pasturages or buildings Most
of our farmers are as ignorant of the disease
to-day as they were in 1871, and any new in
, vasion could not fail to produce similar ex-
element and CONSERVATION. 1t should be
added that our connection with the states,
as well as the United States, brings us con-
, slant complaints of diseases supposed to be
! contagious, but we have not found any evil
dence of the actual existence of the foot and
mouth disease at any point among our homo
herds We cannot pass unnoticed the two
latest importations of the disease from Eng
4 land. Two years ago the steamship France,
, of the National line, landed in New York a
, herd Of Channel island cattle suffering from
foot and mouth disease. These were quaran-
tined by the state authorities and the infec-
ton stamped out. The France, however,
after an attempted disinfection, shipped a
, cargo of American beeves for the return
! voyage, and these, on arrival in England
were condemned as being infected with the
foot and mouth disease. This was undoubt-
s edly contracted on board ship
< The second case is that of the steamship
: Nessmore, which, in March, 1888, landed in
Baltimore q herd of Channel island cattle
: suffering from foot and mouth disease. These
d again were secluded as soon as detected by
= the Pennsylvania authorities, and no evil
consequences to our home herds can be traced
But the steamship Nessmorc, after an at
= tempted disinfection by the agents shipped q
cargo of American fat cattle, and these, on ar.
rival in England were found to bo suffering
g from foot and mouth disease. This infection
p unquestionably contracted ON board ship ap
" pears to have been the main, if not the sole
: occasion of the recent questions and resolu
tions in the British parliament That the in
U fcction was not derived from American herds
,, but from English, is beyond all dispute alike
Z in this case and in that of the France
K two years ago The same is true of our OK
/, tensve invasion in 1871, which was derived
from two imported horn cows, anC
which was thoroughly extinguished withou
s having gained any permanent foothold. W,
do not deny that other cargoes of American
cattle may have been found suffering from
the disease in question on arrival in England
0, but this is amply accounted for by the occa
Is sonal use for these cattle of head ropes ant
hat L... 4,