Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-11-12
i. s. SENDS OUT
WARNING ABOUT
CATTLE PLAGUE
Declares Disease Communica-
BILE to acknowledgements
Use of Pasteurized Milk.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12.--Foot and
| mouth disease, now raging among
| cattle in fourteen States, is COM
municable to humans, the department
of agriculture announced today but
its effects rarely are serious. The de-
! partment urged, however, that
humans keep away from diseased
cattle, to avoid spreading the infec-
ton, and recommended the use of
| pasteurized milk.
The statement said In part:
1.-THE anxiety that has been ex-
pressed in several quarters in regard
| to the effect upon human health Cf
the present outbreak of the foot and
| mouth disease is regarded by govern
ment authorities as somewhat ex-
| aggerated. The most common fear
is that the milk supply might become
contaminated, but, in view of the pre-
+, cautions that local authorities in the
infected areas are very generally
taking, there is comparatively little
danger of this. Milk from infected
farms Is not permitted to be shipped
al all. The only danger is. therefore.
that before the disease has mani
Tested itself some infected milk might
reach the market, For this reason
experts in the department of agri-
culture recommend pasteurization. AS
matter of fact, however, pasteuriza-
ton Is recommended by the depart
ment, anyway, for all milk that is not
very high grade and from tuberculin-
tested COWS.
1t has been demonstrated by ex-
periments which have been made in
Denmark and Germany that pasteuri-
zatfon Will serve as a safeguard
against contagion from the foot and
mouth disease just as readily as it
does against typhoid fever; but, in
any event, II must he thoroughly done
the milk must be heated to las de-
grees Fahrenheit and held at this
temperature fer thirty minutes.
I'm this country the foot and mouth
disease has been SO rare that there
are few recorded cases of it's trans
mission to human beings. In 1902 a
few cases were reported in New Eng
land, and in 1908 in a few instances
cruptions were found in the mouths
of children which were be ieved to
have been caused by contaminated
milk. In both of these outbreaks the
sale of milk was stopped as soon as
the disease was found among the
cattle. AS long, therefore, as the
disease can be confined by rigid
the danger from this source is very
small. Should the pestilence spread
all over this country and become as
general as it has been at various
times in large areas in Europe, the
problem wou become more serious
Under any circumstances, however,
pastuerization would be an efficient
remedy. Where pasteurization is not
possible, and where there is any rea-
son to suspect that the disease may
exist, the precaution of boiling milk
might be advisable.
Cows affected with the malignant
form of the disease lose practically
all of their milk In mild cases, how
ever, the decrease may be from one
third to one-half of the usual vie d.
Men who come In contact with
diseased animals may also become
infected. In adult human beings the
contagion causes such symptoms as
sore mouths, painful swallowing,
fever and occasional eruptions on the
hands, finger-tips, etc. While caus-
ing considerable discomfort, however,
the disease Is rarely serious"
NEW YORK, Nov. 12.-Traces of
the foot and mouth disease discop-
cred yesterday in herd of 289 cattle
on farm near Jamaica, a suburban
section of the city on Long Island,
resulted in orders yeing issued for
an inspection today of the heard.
DR.. H. d. Gill, representinv the State
department of agriculture, who in
spected the cattle, found more than
a dozen of them infected.
DR.. Gill Immediately ordered the
suspension of the milk vusiness OF the
farm. which is confined principally in
Brooklyn, declared a quarantine and
reported his findinvs to the United
States bureau of animal industrc.