Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-18
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.
George Aiken Makes Vigorous Reply
TO Rural"

Rural"
To the Editor of the Free Press:
notice in your issue of the Sth COM
nunication from one who signs himself
Rural" I am not in the habit of no.
tcing anonymous letters of any kind. but
as IL was the writer of this who made the
statement alluded to, | think 1t Is only
fair, not only to myself but to the farmers
of Vermont. that the facts in the case
should be published.
In the first place. the person signing
himself Rural is in error when he says
tho State has a cattle commission. The
term OF the last commission expired De-
ccmber 1st and so far as | know no other
has been appointed. Second, when
made the statement that tho disease was
not necessarily fatal. I was simply reiter-
ating the statement made to me the day
before by Professor Law of Cornell Uni
varsity, who is acknowledged as author
ICY on epidernic diseases in this country,
and who Is employed by the federal gov
eminent In all such cases. Third, the
statement that there was no cure for this
disease was the statement made by the
same authority. Rural quotes DR.. Sal
mon. who is tho head OF tho bureau Of
animal Industry to-day. and who ls do.
ing his best to eradicate this disease in
the New England states Now II Or.
Salmon thought there was a cure for This
disease would he recommend as lie does,
that all animals affected by this disease
lie slaughtered. Not only that, but all
that have been exposed to the corta sion,
whether affected or not, If he thought
there WIS sure cure for it? 1t may ne
that at one time Or Salmon thought there
might be a cure, bat 1t is perfectly evil
dent from his later statements that he
does not consider it possible,
Veterinary science, like every other, is
m - Sri, hn at \, ft,,-
self thought at one time that he had dis
covered a cure for tuberculosis, but after
wis fDuni lie was mistaken, anl I
would advise Rural" insteal of studying
aucient history to cndedvor to kecr uT
with tho times.
Now In cyard to the work Of the late
cattle commission. when they discovered
that this foot and mouth disease had hrok-
en- out n Massachusetts and that n car
load OF cattle had been brought into the
State from where tho 1isensc had been
found to exist instead Of sitting down and
issuing lot Of useless literature for the
treatment of this disease as Rural evil
dcrtly thinks they ought to have done
while the disease itself was rapidly
spreading over the State. they at once
went to work to trace the infected cattle
! ana spent the last four days of their term
Of office, Sunday included, in running
down every animal that was infected or
/ ndN nttn PNIpSen 10 COnt1BlDn, ana "t1cNt-
| uHllN Quarantined them, so the disease
| could rot tc allowed to spread. This they
id SO thoroughly that their action met
with the unqualified approval of the cx-
| perts sent by the department OF agrcul-
| turo.
| 1t may be possible that person who
| hides himself behind a fictitious signature
is better qualified as to the best method
Of handling this disease than the govern
ment experts hut il is not probable.
The writer has had an extensive ac-
! quaintance with this disease both in this
/ country and Europe and knows the valuc
of prompt action in stopping its spread,
and the farmers of the State may yet be
thankful that they had a commission
who know their duty and had the cour-
/ age TO perform it.
GEORGE A1TKEN.
Woodstock, Dec. Q.