Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-12-05
THE CATTLE EPIDEMIC
5000 Head in Massachusetts
Affected with Foot and
Mouth Disease.

Outbreak at Chester, WIndham and
Andover-Strict Quarantine Has
Been Established and All Business
in Shipping Cattle in New England
Suspended.
The outbreak of the foot and mouth
disease among cattle in Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut and Vermont
has caused an entire suspension in the
selling of cattle in New England, and
has aroused the gravest apprehension
among farmers and milk dealers. At the
present time there are 1900 cattle affected
in Massachusetts, mostly in the eastern
and central part of the state.
The statement made early in the week
that the disease was introduced into
Dedham by cattle brought from Addison
county, this state, seems to be erroneous.
The disease is found in only two or three
towns in Vermont 1t was brought to
Chester by cattle from Concord. Mass,
and was discovered Friday in a herd of
10 animals owned by George A. Boyn-
ton at Gassetts. A despatch from Ches-
ter Dec. / said:
The state board of cattle commission
ers are here making a thorough examina-
ton of all the infected herds, of which
there are nine, including those of F. w.
a
George Perry and others. At the farm
of Edwin Farr three sheep were found
with the disease. Saturday the commits
sion went to Windham and found four
herds sick, which were quarantined.
They belonged to A. A. Goodel. Aaron
Aldrich. G. L. Dutton and John Gould.
The disease Is causing much trouble here,
as all those who sell milk by the quart
are quarantined, and in order TO get milk
for their customers they procure II Of
farmers where the cows are all right
Last Sunday one milk producer destroy
ed IS worth of milk from the mornings
supply. The commissioners are doing
their utmost to stop the spread of the
disease, but II is under such Roadway
now that bad results are feared. The
trouble is causing much excitement
among all people here.
There is no board of cattle commits
sioners in Vermont at present, owing to
the action of the legislature, but Gov
Mccullough and President NJ. II. Buck
ham of Burlington, ex-officio members
of the board. signed an order Tuesday.
declaring the towns OF Chester and An
dover in Windsor county, and Windham
and Grafton in this county in quarantine
on account of the disease, and forbidding
the inhabitants to move cattle sheep or
Swine from any herd or flock or from
any premises to any other herd or flock,
or to turn out any such animals to enter
any highway or any unfenced place.
| There Is no outbreak in Grafton but dis
eased animals were driven through there.
and the officials fear contagion. ~ cor
respondent from Windham writes that
the disease was communicated to that
town from Chester. A. A. Goodel
bought four cattle from a car of in
fected animals, supposing them to be all
right and, driving them home, left
them over night with ]. A. Gould. The
latters cattle took the disease as did
j. w Gould's oxen, which were driven to
]. A. Gould's place. Mr.. Goodell took
his cattle home the next day. Members
of the board of agriculture were In Wind
ham Sunday and quarantined all these
/ places. and also A. z. buttons. Mr..
Dutton bought a pair of steers of Mr..
! Goodell. but buttons cattle appeared to
be all right.
| There was an epidemic of the disease
! in 1870 and 1871. introduced into Canada
by cattle brought from England. The
disease spread through northern New
York and a part OF New England. There
was another outbreak in New England
in 1878, which was stamped out by dras-
! tic quarantine measures. The disease eff
fects not only cattle. but almost all other
animals. Blisters appear upon the
tongue and between the hoofs. The
cows drop quantities of saliva. which
spreads the infection. and make pc
culiar smacking sound in eating. The
blisters on the feet cause lameness. and
I the animal becomes thin and hidebound,
/ but RECEIVERS. although left in poor con-
/ ditlon. Milk from diseased cows con-
veys the disease to human beings more
| particularly children. who are afflicted
with blisters on the tongue, and frequent
! ly with severe intestinal disturbances.
Some cases thus affected are fatal.
When the milk is sterlized or boiled II
is harmless. The outbreak comes from
eight to II days after infection, and runs
its course in 10 to u days.
/ Boston has been closed as a port for
the shipment of cattle. Canada has for
hidden importation of cattle. sheep or
swine from New England, and the states
/ of Maine and New Hampshire. in which
1 the disease does not yet exist. have also
established quarantine. Mr.. Wilson. sec
rotary of agriculture. may ask Congress
for 100000 to stamp out the disease.
/ The dread of the disease comes from its
great infectiousness and from the fact
that animals once afflicted are not i'm
mune but may be attacked a second or
a third time. One outbreak in France
caused an expenditure of $s,O00,OOO and
one in England a sum nearly as large.
department recommend the killing of
animals found to be afflicted, hoping in
that way to stamp out the disease within
short time large number of veter-
inaries have been sent to New England
by the department of agriculture, and
the state officials are doing everything
in their power to keep the disease within
the present bounds.