News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-12-03
The 0uarantInlna Of Vermont.

The foot and mouth disease, which
has caused so much excitement in
Massachusetts through the closing
of the port of Boston to the exporta-
ton of cattle, sheep and swine, is so
far chiefly of interest to Vermonters
owing to the orders of the govern
ment forbidding the transportation
of cattle, sheep or swine from or
through the State as we'll as Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island and Connect
cut, where the disease is more prev
alent. 1t is rot entirely unknown
as an epidemic in this section of the
country although it has not APP
peared for several years. There was
an epidemic in 1870 and 1871, which
was introduced into Canada by cat
tile brought there from England.
The disease spread from Canada
through northern New York and part
of New England. There was also
another epidemic in 1878, which as
sumed considerable proportions in
New England. In both cases the
disease was stamped out by drastic
quarantine measures.
The disease is especially marked by
the appearance of bisters on the
tongue and between the hoofs of the
animals. The former causes the ami
NAL to drop saliva and make a pc
culiar smacking sound in eating.
The blisters on the feet cause the ami
NAL to walk lame and it acts sick and
becomes thin and hide-bound. 1t is
not described as particularly severe
disease and the animal RECEIVERS from
it i'll a short time and apparently
gets back itsnormalhealth, although
it is claimed that the cattle afflicted
with it are not as good either for
milking or beef for considerable
time.
Human beings in general are con-
cerned in it inasmuch as people who
drink milk from infected cattle are
apt to have blisters on the tongue,
although it is said not to impair the
general health.
The chief reason for the strict
quarantine regulations is the remark
ably infectious nature of the disease.
Few four-footed animals are entirely
safe from the disease, but cloven-
bnDfaJ m; ~, n 1e +o1,a - ,,a.-,, ooc;1,r
especially cattle. Saliva dropped
from the mouth of a diseased animal
is likely to spread the disease, and
where cattle are driven along the
highway broken blisters are almost
sure to spread germs that will be
picked up by cattle coming near the
place. The action of the government
in forbidding the movement of cattle,
sheep or swine through the quaran-
tined state is explained by the state
ment that they are liable to pick up
the germs in passing over a railroad
where diseased live stock have pre-
coded them. The outbreak of the
disease comes from Sto14 days after
infection, and it runs it course" in
10 or II days.
With such a rapidly spreading
disease the only way to stamp it out
is rigid isolation of infected animals,
and particular care taken to prevent
them moving about where they can
spread the disease. Thegovernment
in forbidding exports from Boston
was acting for the protection of
foreign countries, nearly all of which
have had epidemics in former years.
Should even one or two effected cat
tie reach a foreign country and the
disease not be promptly discovered,
it would soon cause an epidemic.
The quarantine regulations may
have seemed sweeping at first, but
this course is the only one with
which to make any Roadway against
the disease and keep it from spread
ing all over this country and to
Others. -RutIand Herald.