Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-03
Foot and Mouth Disease.
(Drover.s Jo,,rra1l

This disease is also known as epiZOo-
tic aphtha, aphthous fever, infectious
aphthn, eczema epizootica and may be
defined as an acute, highly contagious
fever Of a specific nature, characterized
by the eruption of vesicles. or blisters,
in the mouth around the coronets of
the feet and between the toes.
The tremendous ravages of the dis
ease are seen in the number and va
riety of species attacked. While 1t may
be regarded as essentially disease of
cattle. hogs would seem to be as easy
a prey. Almost in the same grade of
receptivity come sheep and goats. Next
! in order of liability come the buffalo,
| American bison, camel. deer. chamois,
llama, giraffe and antelope. Horses
dogs, cats and even poultry have been
victims Of the infection, the last three
classes being particularly dangerous as
! carriers of the tontagion. Man himself
| is not immune. and the frequency of
his infection by coming in contact with
the diseased animals themselves Is es-
tablished by numerous observations.
7, Children suffer as a result of drinking
/ the unboiled milk from infected cat
| tie. In such cases the. symptoms re-
semble those observed in animals.
4 There is fever and difficulty lin swal
| lowing, followed by an eruption of btis-
tiers in the mouth and very rarely by
similar ones on the fingers. The dis
ease is very seldom fatal, and chiefly
restricted to- children and to those
adults who handle sick animals or
drink large quantities of unboiled milk.
Some veterinarians regard the human
affection as by no means uncommon
in countries where foot and mouth dis
ease prevails. but the disturbance of
health is usually too slight to come to
the notice of the family doctor.
The disease prevails in European
countries and occasions great losses.
Attic the actual mortality is quite low
serious losses result from the dimin-
ution of the milk secretion and conse-
Of the dairy There is likewise more or
less loss of flesh in animals.
Every appearance of foot and mouth
disease uponA American soil has been
quickly followed by the total suppress
sion Of the disease, and it will there
fore be necessary to go abroad for evil
dences of the devastation which al
ways follows in the wake of an out
break of this scourge and for estimates
of the loss which it entails upon the
farmers and stock owners in affected
districts.
According to the very accurate sta
tis'tics collected by the German empire,
431.235 head of cattle. 230,S6S sheep
and goats and 153,s0S swine were az
fected with the disease in that country
in 1890. The infection, quite insig-
nificant in 1856. had been gradually
spreading until lit reached the enor-
nous figures given above in 1890. Dur
ing this same year it prevailed in |!
France, Italy. Belgium. Austria Hun
gary, Switzerland, Roumania and Bull
garia.
The losses from this disease in Eng
land in the year 1883 We're estimated
ait s5,o00O00 An English practitioner
of wide experience states that 1t is |
none too high to place the loss upon
each animal that becomes infected but |
that ultimately RECEIVERS at $40, when
milch cows or feeding cattle that are
nearly finished are under considera-
ton. On store cattle and calves the
loss is proportonally less.
Estimating the losses upon the sur ;.
viving animals from this basis and
adding the value of those that die it
will be seen that an outbreak of this
disease may quickly result in direct
losses of many millions of dollars In
addition to this, a considerable spread
of the contagion in this country would i
entail the entire loss of our export
trade in live animals, Interruptions Of
domestic commerce and guarantees.
which would surpass the loss caused
by the ravages of the disease.
Unlike most other infectious dis
eases, foot and mouth disease may at
tack the same animals repeatedly. The
immunity or protection conferred is
thus only of limited duration. Hence
protective incubation with the virus,
in whatever manner 1t may be prac-
ticed, is not only of no use but decid-
edly dangerous, as 1t will introduce the
disease. 1t is. however, not uncom-
mon in European countries to practice
incubation after the disease has ap-
IN a Ior5 T., ordo. RI I,n sfay, i<o