The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-12-04
THE CATTLE PLAGUE.
Maryland Placed Under 0uaran-
tine Disease Spreads To
Carroll County.

V0AlVAA VVUhbys
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson
Friday issued a cattle quarantine
order against the State of Mary
land because of the discovery of
the foot and mouth disease ON a
farm at Lineboro, Carroll county,
in this State. The restrictions put
upon the State in the matter of the
exploration of cattle are the same
as those applied in the quarantine
against Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
New York and Michigan.
Secretary Wilson stated that if
the disease is checked Immediately
in all the States where it has
appeared the total cost to the Fed.
eral Government will be about
100000. The arrangement that
the Department of Agriculture has
made with the various States is that
the Government shall pay two
thirds and the States the one third
of the cost of suppression.
1t is believed that the cattle
plague in this State is confined to
a single farm at Lineboro, although
it has communicated to all the
cattle and hogs on the place. The
farm was at once placed under rigid
quarantine and every precaution
taken to prevent the spread of the
disease. Even the residents of the
farm are subject to severe re-
strictions.
The infected animals and other
live stock including pigs, chickens
and pigeons were killed. A house
to house canvass will be made by
the State Agricultural Department
officials through all that section of
Carroll county to ascertain il there
are any more infected cattle.
The immediate effect of the quar-.
antine against Maryland is to stop
the expectation Of live stock from
the port of Baltimore.
While the disease is not often
fatal, animals afflicted with it re
cover slowly and are comparatively
worthless afterward.
An outbreak four years ago in
Massachusetts cost the National
government $500, 900 and the farm
ers of that State an even larger
amount in the loss of stock. In
1883 the disease caused a loss of
$5, 100000 worth of cattle in
Europe.
A veterinary gives the following
description of the disease
The farm animals affected by this disease are
cattle. sheep. goats and swine. Man may also
contract the disease through contact and by the
use of infected dairy products. In view of the
present outbreak in Pennsylvania 1t is important
that stock raisers inform themselves upon the
disease and report any suspicious cases to the
state authorities, so they can make prompt in.
vestigation and take measures to check its spread
The disease is frequently of mild nature 6nd the
animals recover in about two weeks. The chief
agents for its dissemination are cattle cars mar
kets dealers, drovers, feeding troughs, infected
feed, dairy products and the movement of swine
along public roads. It is communicable from
any affected animal to any other susceptible
animal. The main symptoms of the mild forms
are: Vesicles and ulcers on the lining of the
mouth. and on the skin at the margin of the hoof
and between the claws. In fnOm three to five
days after exposure to the disease, cattle have a
moderate fever, which disappears with the appear
ance of the eruptions The appetite is lost and
the mouth is kept closed. There is dribbling of
saliva. and In two or three days the vescles,
yellowish white in color, and the size of hemp
seed appear on the gums, lower surface of the
tongne, lining of the mouth, and on the lips
They finally run together. burst. and form painful
foul smelling ulcers. The saliva now becomes
more profuse and ropey, and the animal makes
peculiar smacking noises with the mouth. The
foot disease usually appears after that in the
mouth. There is marked redness, heat and
swelling of the skin near the hoof and especially
between the claws and on the soles of one or all
four feet at the same time, resulting in a great
lameness and inability to stand. In some cases
the hoofs slough off. bed sores form and the
animal dies of blood poison.
In the severe forms the animal may die sudden
ly or may linger for a few hours, with difficult
breathing and discharge of blood from the nose.
The udder may become violently inhamed, hard
ened and then waste away The horns may drop
off The entire skin and even the eyes may be
affected. In some outbreaks 80 per cent of the
animals may die, and outbreak runs its
course in about six weeks Recoveries may be |
delayed by emaeation. lung troubles. udder
disease chronic lameness. The affected animals |
are also damaged for breeding purposes. In |
sheep goats and pigs, the disease is generally |
confined to the feet while in the horse, when 1t |
ioes occur, it is limited to the mouth, but is |
very in this animal. although the horse may |
carry the virus to susceptible animals The symp |
.oms in man are lever indigestion, eruptions OF |
vesicles on the face, fingers arms, chest. lining of
the mouth, throat, eyes and diarrhea and vomit- |
ing, which may end fatally in children.