Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-12-12
Foot and Mouth Disease.
Statement from the Vt. EXP. station.l

statement from the vt. EXP. Station.)
The Vermont experiment station sends
US the following statement as to the
symptoms of foot and mouth disease and
brief history of the outbreak In this
state. Inasmuch as the veterinarian of
the station has been placed In charge of
the suppression Of the maady In YER
mont by the chief of the National Bureau
of Animal Industry, the statement may
be considered authoritative.
This disease is highly contagious
eruptive fever resembling in many ways
some of the contagious eruptive fevers
common to man. 1t usually attacks cat
tie, sheep or swine, but may be COM
municated, Though less rapidly, to goats,
deer, rabbits, man, fowls, dogs and
horses, the likelihood of communication
being in the order indicated, goats being
the most and horses least open to attack.
Symptoms From "a hours to IA days
may ensue after exposure before the
symptoms become manifest. The onset
of the disease is marked by dizziness,
shverng and loss of appetite. The
mouth is hot and the eyes are swollen
and fearful. Discomfort in the feet is
shown by moving them uneasily about.
When the animals are caused to move
they appear stiff and lame, keeping the
feet close together. Very soon blisters
appear in the mouth, on the inside of the
lips, upon the tongue and gums, and
] 1nre h.. L. So I,
and muzzle. These also appear around
the top of and between the claws and
frequently upon the udder and teats.
The discomfort due to the blisters in the
mouth causes the animal to move the
lips almost constantly with a character
stic smacking sound. These are soon
ruptured. and yellowish, ropy, some
times blood stained saliva oozes from
the mouth. lrregularly shaped red
ulcers then form in the mouth, and
more or less liberation of the feet and
between the claws occurs. The udder
and teats also become sore. The milk
flow is generally suppressed early In the
course of the disease, and Is not re-
established until the animal is conval-
escent. There is Il characteristic offen-
sive odor about the animals. especially
noted in the more severe cases, and in
] tHOst HdNJUS lUlCStlUhI lUNOlVtInPDC
18th diarrhea. The high fever which
characterizes the early stage of the
disease usually ceases after the bisters
rupture. All the affected parts finally
peel and usually heal rapidly, the whole
course of the disease being of about
two weeks duration. Different from
some maladies, one attack does not give
immunity against subsequent attacks.
Animals have been known to suffer two
attacks in one month, and may have
four or five attacks IN one year.
Quarantine, slaughter and dislnfection
rather than attempted care are the only
safeguards with such an extremely dis
astrous disease. The statement recently
sent broadcast throughout the state
press that this disease has existed in
Washington and Orange counties for
years and has been successfully treated
by a local practitioner, Is without found
alton in fact.
History.-The present epidemic of con-
tageous foot and mouth disease in New
| Ell gland was first discovered near Bos-
ton. where it rapidly spread into many
towns in eastern Mas sachusetts and
into Rhode Island and Vermont. The
history of its outbreak In Vermont is as
follows: Sixteen cows bought at a sale
at Acton, Mass. were shipped to Gas.
sett STATION In the town or chester. ana
received on November 2lst, whence they
were driven to nearby farm. Thirteen
of these cows were sold and driven to
Chester station, four miles distant, on
November 24th, where they were dis
tributed among the farmers who pur-
chased them. These infected cows
caused new outbreak of the disease at
each place where they went. and also
infected the highways over which they
Travelled. Four OF them were driven
fifteen miles farther to IA farm in the
town of Windham, from which in turn
other farms have become infected. No
vember 26, two days later, the original
Vermont buyer, becoming alarmed,
drove the diseased Massachusetts cows
back to his own fam. Before becoming
aware of the presence of the disease in
his herd, however, he sold two calves TO
two parties living near Perknsvile in
the town of Weatherstield, in whose
herds foot and mouth disease now pre-
walls Two herds in the town of Spring
field are quarantined on suspicion be-
cause of exposure through these Per-
kinsville cases. No cases are now known
to exist outside of this era. Inssmuch,
however, as highways, the feet of ami
mails passing thereon, the shoes of pedes-
triaus, of visitors to infected farms, ETC.,
may bear the Infection, particular watch
fulness and care are called for on the
part of all stock owners.