The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-05-20


origin from the Milford Company.
While an investigation was made
at that time, the results were con-
tusing so that it was not definitely
determined that the outbreaks
were due to contaminated vaccine
virus. In the recent investigation
by Doctors Mohler and Rosenau,
however, they used animals which
had been vaccinated and were
therefore immune to vaccinia or
cowpox, so that in case the infec-
ton of foot-and- mouth disease was
present in the vaccine under sus-
picion the LESSONS of that disease
would not be suppressed or OBJ
scured by those of vaccinia. By
this method and by means of in
travenous incubation they were
able to detect the communicating
infection when it might not other
wise have been discovered.
The fact that the infection was
present in the vaccine virus of the
Milford Company for so long a
period, but was not transmitted to
outside cattle, was doubtless due
to this firm practice of killing its
calves after taking the vaccine
virus. Parke, Davis 8, Co., on the
other hand, rented their calves and
placed them again on the market
short time after the vaccine ma
terial was taken. In this way the
disease spread from the vaccine
stables OF Parke, Davis & Co. but
not from those of the Milford Co.,
although it was the vaccine virus
from the latter establishment that
infected the formers cattle.
According to Doctors Mohler
and Rosenau, foot. and mouth dis
ease is primarily and principally a
disease Of cattle, and affects man
only seCondarily and casually.
Children are occasionally infected
by drinking unboiled milk during
the periods in which the disease is
prevalent in the neighborhood,
while persons in charge Of diseased
animals may become infected
through contact with the diseased
parts or by milking, Strengthening,
or caring for the animals. The
disease when communicated to
man, however, IS very seldom fatal,
the afectation usually being too
slight to come to the notice of the
family physician.
As soon as the facts regarding
the contamination of vaccine be-
cane known the licenses of the
two firms involved were at once
suspended, all the suspected vac
cit e virus on hand was DESTROYED
and that upon the market with
| drawn, and other measures of
radical nature were taken. The
report Commends the intelligent
and prompt cooperation OF the
Milford Company and Parke, Da-
Wis < Co. in accomplishing this
end. After an examination of ev-
cry strain of vaccine upon the
market it is stated that there is
now upon the market no vaccine
contaminated with the virus of
toot-and-mouth disease. Regula-
tons have been formulated with a
view to preventing hereafter the
propagation of contaminated vac
cine virus. No instance of the
transmission oftoot and-mouth dis
ease to man through vaccine virus
has been recorded, and it is consid-
cred doubtful, in view of the tests
made, lift is possible to reproduce
the disease in him by the cutaneous
incubation commonly used in the
process Of vaccination.
The recent outbreak OF foot-and-
mouth disease in live stock has
been eradicated after vigorous work
by the Bureau of Animal Industry
in cooperation with State authori.
ties, involving the expenditure of
$500, 900 by the Federal Govern
ment alone. The quarantine on
the last of the infected territory
was removed April 24.-Report
| from the U. S. Agricultural De-