Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-12-27

Concord. Mass. Dee. 24.--Therr IS a
very deep seated feeling here. whicc is
hourly growing more intense, because of
the wholesale slaughter of cattle, swiEe,
etc. on account Of the foot and mouth
disease.
1t may be said that this sentiment is
deepest among some of the most con-
scrvative people, those who are geicr-
ally the very last TO find fault with Of
fetal action. 1t is sufficient evidence
that they are not sentimrntalistS or
idealists to say that the principal ground
upon which they base their protests
against the governments action is that
it is causing Il wholesale destrut ton of
valuable property. These people dO not
take exception to the adoption of dra site
measures to stamp out this disease. The
reverse is true that they approve Of
such measures If rightly directed.
But right here is the crux Of thcirpro
teSt-thut, after careful investigation.
.hcy are able to arrive at no other con-
,lusion than that II grievOllS mistake
being made in the general killing of
whole herds Of cattle. They quit" a@rec
hat the first and most important task
to eradicate the disease. What Col
ows? The cattle and premises are
luarantincd, the appraisers or other Of
icials decide values, and soon the
slaughtering begins. This the govern
ment appears to have decided upon rs
the proper course. In reality, however.
before this becomes generally operative
many cattle recover from the disease:
yet the government says they must die.
Statistics show that only from to .
percent of the animals which have The
disease die. Ninety eight or 90 percent
recover, and would in Il reasonable time
regain their normal value.
The prOtestOrs believe that it il the
wiser procedure to let the affected Errd
! live. get well. as most of them surely
| will. eat up the food on hand, and then
more calmly decide if 1t is wise to kill,
of course keeping the premises duly
quamntlned. 1t Is argued that, if the
premises and contents can be so ef-
fcctually fumigated or disinfected that
they will be tit for new herds, the ami
| mails. after recovery, can he just as eff
fcctually fumigatcd or disinfected.
Careful inquiry shows that vetcri-
narians are far from unanimous in favor
Of killing In fact. the preponderance Of
opinion IS the reverse. The thing to
be considered is the welfare Of society
| Of l,ir
medical men say-and statistics uphold
them--that the foot and mouth disease
| among animals contains almost 70 cle.
ment of danger to humanity. Some 20
so far us to assert that there is not one
thoroughly well-authenticated case
where it has proved so.
Another ground of complaint Is that
there seems to be 10 uniformity of ac-
ton among the government officials sent
here. A few days ago all of Il fine herd
was killed, though the owner asked to
be allowed to keep part. A day or two
later another large herd was killed. hut
only after the owner had been given The
privilege Of keeping some.
Thirty years ago the foot and mouth
disease was prevalent here, and was
stamped out without such drastic and
uneconomic measures, ana with but lit
lie harm TO man or beast.
Ithaca, n. V, Dec. 2I.-professor
James Law, director of the Cornell
Veterinary college, who has spent sOme
time in conjunction with the federal au-
tllorities Investigating the hoof and
mouth disease among cattle in the east
ern sectious Of the country, states that
in his opinion the disease is now prac-
tically stamped ont. The danger Of All
other outbreak he regards as very
slight.
A.