Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-11-30
LIVE STOCK MEN WORRIED
Outbreak of Aphthous Fever in Cattle
Serious Proposition.
ACTIVE WORK STAMPING IT OUT
Disease Not So Fatal as Many, but
Great DenRer Lies in It's Ex-
tremeIy COntasiOus Nature,
Causing Great Losses.
cFron a staff Correspondent.l

occasloned ten days ago when the an
nouncement was made that the Department
Of Agriculture had established rigid cat
tie quarantine against the states OF New
York and Pennsylvania owing to an out
break OF the dreaded foot and mouth dis
ease, which was discovered In Pennsyl-
vanIa and traced to the stock yards OF
Buffalo. 1t Is something more than five
years now since the last case Of this
plague was stamped out In this country.
Previous TO that time pleuro-pneumonia
had caused great ravages among the dairy
herds of New York, Pennsylvania, Mary
land the District of Columbia and in
some of the New England states. But
prompt ACTION by the veterinarians Of the
bureau of animal industry of the Depart
ment of Agriculture eradicated the dis
ease entirely. Likewise the Texas fever
and every vestige of other contagious dis
eases among meat cattle were eradicated
by this wonderfully effective bureau. OF
course there were complaints over the
drastic methods adopted. but DR.. salma,
then the chief of the bureau. went upon
the theory that the bureau was created
to secure the greatest good for the great
est number and today the American farmer
has come to believe that the hope for his
flocks and herds rests with the Depart
ment of Agriculture and its efficient bu-
reau of animal industry. F
Hoof and mouth disease has a variety
of names. 1t is also known as epizootic
aphtha, aphthous fever, infectious alpha,
eczema epizootiac and may be defined as
an acute. highly contagious fever OF \
| specific nature, characterized by the erup-
tion Of veslcles or blisters. in the mouth
around the coronets of the feet, and be-
tween the toes
Many Species Attacked.
The tremendous ravages of the disease
are seen in the number and variety Of
species attacked. While it may be re-
garded as essentially a disease of cattle
hogs would seem to be prey. All in
the same grade of receptivity come sheep
and goats. Next in order Of liability come
the buffalo American bison. camel deer,
chamois, llamo, giraffe and antelope.
Horses. dogs, cats and even poultry have
been victims Of the infections, the last
three classes being particularly dangerous
as carriers of the contagion. Man him
| self Is not immune, and the frequency of
| his infection by coming In contact with
the diseased animals themselves is .estab-
lished by numerous observations. Chill
! Qren surfer as u result OF uTIihibB tue
unbolled milk from infected cattle. In
such cases the symptoms resemble those
observed in animals. There is fever and
difficulty in swallowing, followed by an
eruption of blsters in the mouth and very
rarely by similar ones on the fingers. Tho
disease is seldom fatal. and chiefly re-
stricted to children and to those adults
who handle sick animals or drink large
! nta of nn
inarians regard the human affection as
by no means uncommon in countries where
foot-and- mouth disease prevails, but that
the disturbance OF health is usually too
slight to come to the notice OF the family
doctor.
The disease prevails in European coun-
tries and occasions great losses. Although
the actual mortality is quite low. serious
| losses result from the diminution of the
milk secretion and consequent interference
with the business of the dairy. There is
likewise more or less loss of flesh in ami
mails
The losses from this disease in England in
the year 1888, were estimated $5OOO,OO0. Ar
English practitioner of wide experience
states that 1t is none too high to place the
loss on each animal that becomes infected
but that ultimately recovers. at $50 wher
milch cows or feeding cattle that are nearly
finished are under consideration. On store
cattle and calves the loss is proportionately
less.
Where Doctors Differ.
The observations made by some veterin
arians lead to the suppositipn that the viru.
is quite easily destroyed. It is claimed tha
stables thoroughly cleaned become saf,
after drying a short time. Hence, litter o.
| ali Lii.
and straw, may remain infectlve for
longer time because they do not dry out
Other authorities maintain that the viru
is quite tenacious and may live in stables
even long as p year. They also stat,
; that animals which have passed through
the disease may be a source of infection
: for several months.
In pamphlet recently issued by the de
| partment, after describing methods OF pre-
: vention of the spread of the infection, says
r 1T would therefore appear to concentrat
the expense incident to the exterminatiol
5 OF foot-and-mouth disease by PURCHASING
and slaughtering all affected and expose
cattle, after judcious appraisement Tn
carcasses of these animals should b
totally destroyed preferably by cremation
or otherwise by burying them In a hol
six feet deep and covering them with air
? Stacked lime. The infected stable shoul
be disinfected by thoroughly cleaning Il
scrubbing the floor with hot water, brush
Z ing down all loose dust from the walls an
2 tearing off all woodwork which Is partl
y decsyed. Then the whole interior OF m
stable should be covered with a good Goa
9 Of lime-wash containing one part of a
v per cent solution of formaldehyde (whic
: is sold In drug trade under the chemics
{ name Of formalin) to thirty parts OF IN
e limewash, or four ounces of formalin
k each gallon OF lime-wash.'
}. As TO medical treatment. It is asserte
I that beneficial results have been obtaine
( by the local application of disinfecting an
= astringent lotions. A teaspoonful of alum
2 chlorate Of potash. boracic acid. or one-ha
% teaspoonful OF the tincture Of aloes an
t myrrh In the mouth has proved efficaciou
e The infected animals may be made to star
from five TO ten minutes in a shallow troue
containing medical agents such as a l-to-l, o
> solution Of blchloride OF mercury Of a D,
cent carbolic acid or creolln solution. Whei
the teats and udder are affected the al
plication OF carbolized vaseline, camph,
ointment or borated glycerin has given e,
celient results. II the symptoms OF hea