Huntsville gazette., 1884-03-22
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.

| The Plague that is Playing Havoc Among
! the Stock-Raisng Interests of the West
Public and Private Measures to be Taken
| to Prevent its Spread-Reports from vari-
Gus Sources.
| DES MONIES, IA, March II.
| Governor Sherman has received two let
| ters from Louisa County stating that the
| foot and mouth disease had evidently
| broken ont among the cattle of that re-
| gion. The letter from the Town Clerk
| of Wapello Township says that a meeting
| of the Township Trustees was called for
| the purpose of taking action in regard to
| an epidemic believed to be what is called
| the foot and mouth disease of cattle,
| which has broken out in the herd of Jona-
| than Drake, farmer living one-half mile
west of Wapello and one-fouth mile from
the station of the b., c. r. and N. r. r.
| The board have instructed me to imme-
diately communicate to you the facts aud
symptoms of the disease that you may take
such action as you think proper for its
suppression Drake has fifty head of
| cattle, consisting of steers, cows
and yearlings, and the disease
was manifested in the following manner;
| The animal is first taken with stiffness
and IamenesS in the joints above the
| hoofs of the hind legs (the fore legs are
not affected); has purient discharge
| from the nose and running at the eyes,
which have dull stupid look. After
| few days the foot begins to crack at the
| Joint above the hoof, and in few days
more drops off 1t has hard, dry ap-
pearance, and breaks like a piece of wood.
There are about forty out of fifty head
afflicted. A number have died in the past
| few days. There is great alarm among
the cattle men OF the vicinity i'll conse-
| quence, rs the county is largely devoted
| to stock raising. The Township Board
therefore urgently requests that you send
a competent veterinary to investigate this
| epidemic, and take such action as you may
| deem proper to prevent the further spread
| of the disease.
| Fortunately, the Legislature is in ses-
| sion, and whether or not the cases i'll
| Louisa County prove to be the genuine
foot and mouth disease, ample provis-
! ions will doubtless be made for stamp
ing out the malady. The question
| came up in the House Saturday after
| noon on the consideration of the bill to
appoint State veterinary, and there was
general expression of opinion in favor
of acting promptly. This bill had been
drawn before the outbreak in Kansas,
and as its provisions were not deemed
sufficiently sweeping in character, it was
recOmmitted to the Committee on Agri-
culture Professor Stalker, veterinary of
the State Agricultural College, left for
Kansas, Saturday night, for the purpose
of investigating the nlague raging there.
He had not then heard OF the Supposeu
outbreak in this State.
EFFINGHAM. Ill, March II.
Simon Beattie, an expert sent by the
Breeders Gazette to investigate the cattle
plague, supposed to be prevailing in this
vicinity, and person who has given the
foot and mouth disease careful study, not
only in this country, but in Canada and
Scotland, after making close investiga-
ton of the afflicted herds here makes the
following statement: ssThe foot and
mouth disease reported to be prevalent
in Effiingham and adjoining counties
proves, upon investigation, to be without
foundation. | visited the largest herd in
this county, said to be affected with the
foot and mouth disease, the herd be-
longing to Robert @. Heating, seven
miles north of Effingham l found
the cattle had the foot rot,
but not single indication of the foot and
mouth disease. The herd consists of fifty
one cattle, part of which became afflicted
with foul in the foot about January first.
Not being properly cared for the disease
has increased, and some of the cattle
have lost their hoofs. The diseaseis con-
fined to calves and younger portions of the
herd. The older cattle and sheep in the
same pasture show no signs of the DIS
ease whatever OF the fourteen now
suffering not one shows the slightest in
| dicatlon of diseased mouth, and all have
ravenous appetites, indicating poor feed
| ing. From thirty years experience in the
| foot and mouth disease, having seen hum
| dreds of cases, and from careful examl-
nation of these cases, am certain that
these cattle are not affected with the foot
and mouth disease. From information
| gathered here in regard to other cases re-
| ported in this and adjoining counties,
am convinced they are similar and that no
| foot and mouth disease exists in this sec
| ton of the State" A4
NEsHo FALLS, KAs.. March H.
Several surgeons representing imported
cattle interests both of the East and West,
arrived here. They all pronounce the
/ disease genuine epizootic apthal, beyond
doubt, but express surprise that it is SO
slightly contagious. The climate of Kan
sas and all other circumstances are so de-
cidedly unfavorable to its spread and de-
| velopment, that all are confident it can
be easily and wholly abated by the de-
struction Of infected herds and disinfec-
tion of premises. As tits only question
of few dollars, no alarm is felt since
| the call for a special legislative session.
| In two weeks there won't be a case in all
| Kansas On Saturday, Lieutenant-Goy-
ernor Finney sent the following dispatch
to the Governor of Illinois:
NEosHo FALLS, March 10.
To GOVERNOR HAMILTON:
Recent dispatches represent you as say
ing you would issue proclamation quar-
antining against Kansas cattle. Hope be-
fore taking such action You will make
thorough investigation. No fat cattle
| cpix fira herds nf ctnck