Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-12-05
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.
Causes New England Quarantine of Cattle,
Sheep and Swine Cattle Experts Rallying
to Prevent National Epidemic.

" TItEeul NdLIuudI LpIutHllC.
The Secretary of Agriculture ordered
Thursday a strict quarantine through
out New England, of cattle. sheep and
other ruminants and swine. EXporta-
tion of such animals from the port of
Boston was also prohibited. This act
was due to the discovery of the exist
encc to an alarming extent of what is
known as the foot and mouth disease,
in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massa-
chusetts and Vermont. Experts from
the department of agriculture visited
the infected districts and recommend
ed the quarantine If the disease should
spread west of the Hudson river it
would result in "A national calamity.
This order. though necessary to the
stamping out of the disease, seriously
affects Boston$ foreign commerce. tenn
porarly cutting off the shipment to
Europe of an average of 300 head of
cattle a week, The cattle bureaus in
the several states have al once com
menced rigid inspection of state herds
and Will prohibit the entrance of cattle
into the state from outside. Strict
quarantine of all infected districts will
also be maintained. The cattle com
fccted herds in the state Saturday. \
car load of cows was received from
Concord two weeks ago and distributed
among nine herds, so that 175 cattle
have been exposed. The three infected
herds have been guaranteed.
The disease Is very contagious and
breaks out in blisters either in the
mouth or feet. These blisters, from
about the size of a pea to that of a
half dollar. break in day or two.
making sore. The disease runs from
10 to II days and while it is not neces-
sarily fatal to the animal, in the case
of the COW all of the milk has to be
thrown away. and the beef is of no
use. If the milk is used, it is more
than liable to result in persons, espec-
tally little children, taking the dis
ease. and with them it often results
fatally. Swine and sheep, together
with COWS, are particularly liable to
catch it. and horses when brought into
direct contact are also liable to con
tract II. The first epidemic of this
disease appeared in Massachusetts in
1870 and was traced back to Canada
1t reappeared in ISIS ID serious pro
portions The present epidemic dates
from Nov. 10, in Cumberland, h. |.
Secretary Wilson will ask Congress
for a special appropriation of at least
sl,UoO, coo. to cure the disease perma-
ncntly. He will send several hundred
veterinary surgeons to the New Eng
land states to inspect every COW, sheep
and hog. Three ar four weeks, he
will be needed to stamp out the
disease. Canada will not allow any
New England livestock TO enter her
boundaries a d the ports of the Unit
ed Kingdom have been posted against
New England cattle.
Members of the Vermont board of
agriculture whose term of office expired
Monday, conferred with Gov. McCul- .
Tough at Montpelier Tuesday concern
ing the disease in Windsor and Wind .
ham counties Fifteen herds have been
quarantined, ~ in Chester. four in
Windham and one in Andover. All of
the Is Massachusetts cattle brought to .
Chester are diseased. Saturday herd .
of II native cattle was examined in /
Chester and no disease found. the same .
cattle were examined Monday and .
fourteen were affected. To illus ,
trate how contagious the disease is,
four Massachusetts cattle We're left .
in the barn ward at Chester for three .
hours but did not come in contact with .
the farmers cattle; nevertheless in 10
days the herd showed signs of the dis.
ease. One flock of sheep in Chester is
also affected. In that town 30 native
cattle were known to be suffering from
the disease some of them after only
three days exposure. Gov. Mccullough
and President Buckham of the univer.
sity of Vermont being ex-officio mem.
oers of the board. have charge of the
natter. and have ordered strict
quarantine of Chester, Andover. Wind
nam and Grafton. The inhabitants of
-hese towns are forbidden to move or
urn loose any cattle, sheep or swine,
Tor any purpose whatever.
There is no etfectual remedy for the
disease and the killing of all infected
animals is the best and cheapest course