The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-11-19
Editorial Page
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE

Accord: to the United States De-
,artment of Agriculture the outbreak
Of foot and mouth disease has al
ready affected an area so large that
il is evident that most active meas
ures are necessary to eradicate 1t.
Cases have been found as far apart
iowa aud Massachusetts,, and OF
time OF this writing thirteen |
states have been Quarantined-Mas-
sachusetts, New York, Wisconsin, |
Maryland, Iowa, Rhode Island, New
Jersey, ana Delaware. Interstate
shipments of live stock from these
states are absolutely prohibited and
such articles as hides, straw, hay,
etc, must be thoroughly disinfected
before they can be moved in inter.
state commerce. Both in virulence
and in extent of area affected the
present outbreak Is more serious
than any of the five previous ones
which have occurred in the United
States.
These previous outbreaks have not
been sufficiently serious either to IA
miliarize farmers with the symptoms
OF the disease or to render them
fully alive to the losses that It &C.
casions when permitted to gain
firm foothold. One of its most dan
gerous characteristics is its extreme
contagiousness Not only may 1t be
conveyed directly from one animal
ed in fodder, picked up from the
ground and carried over the country
by cats. dogs. and chickens, or COM
municated through the agency Of
man. Cases have already been found |
in which it seems certain that the |
disease was spread by the curiosity |
of farmers to inspect suffering ami |
mails. They returned from these Wis
t." TO communicate the disease to
rner own previously healthy herds.
The contagiousness of the disease
explains the action OF the federal au-
thorities in quarantining such large
areas. The practice is to clap
in which case OF the disease has
been found. and then, by careful in.
vestigation, determine the exact area
infected. When an animal suffering
from foot and mouth disease is dis.
covered in a herd the whole herd Is
ut once slaughtered. Otherwise It
would remain a dangerous source Of
infection and be a menace to the en-.
tire community. 1t Is customary TO
appoint an appraiser to value the
herd, Onehalf of the appraised val
ne is paid to the owner by the fed
eral government and one-half by the
state. The slaughtered animals are
buried In deep trench. their hides
slashed to make 1t useless for any.
one to dig them up again, and the
carcasses are saturated with quick
lime. In this manner previous out.
breaks have been completely stamp.
ed out and there is every reason to
hope that this will be the case this
year. The chief danger Is that there
may be infected herds whose exist
ence is not reported to the proper
authorities. Farmers are therefore
urged, both for their own protection
and as duty to their neighbors, to |
report Immediately all cases OF sus-
picious sore mouths or lameness
among their stock.
Foot and mouth disease affects
chiefly cattle, sheep. goats, and |
swine. but there are a number OF
other animals of less commercial i'm.
portance which are also susceptible.
Occasionally human beings are af.
fected, but In the majority OF instanc-
es the disease is not severe In the
case OF man. Children, however,
may become dangerously III II their
milk Is infected.
The first indications of the disease
IL,