Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-11-19
Foot And Mouth Disease.
What 1t Is. Its Effect On HUI
man Beings And Cattle.

ticle for the benefit Of those who ar
readers of THE CLARION. 1t says:
"Foot and mouth disease may be de
fined as anacute, highly contagious feve
of specific nature, characterized by tn
eruption of vesicles, or bllsters, in thu
mouth, around the coronets of the feet
and between the toes. While it may b'
regarded as essentially disease of cat
tie, hogs would seem to be as easy prey
Next in receptiority come sheep and goats
Horses, dogs. cats and even poultry art
sometimes victims of the infection, The
last three classes being particularly dan
gerous as carriers of the contagion.
"Man himself is not immune, andis fire
quently infected. Children suffer as a
result of drinking the unboiled milk OF
infected cattle. In such cases the symp
toms resemble those observed in animals.
There is fever and difficulty in swallow
ing followed by an eruption Of blisters
in the mouth and sometimes by similar
ones on the fingers. The disease is very
seldom fatal, and chiefly restricted to
children and to those adults who handle
sick animals or drink large quantities of
unboiled milk.
1.-The disease prevails in European
countries and occasions great losses. AL
though the actual mortality is quite low,
serious losses result from the dimunition
of the milk secretion and Interference
with the business of the dairy. There is
also great loss of flesh in the affected
animals.
Every appearance of OF and mouth
disease in America has been quickl
stamped out, so that it will be necessary
60 go abroad for evidence of the deyas
tation which always follows in the wake
of an outbreak of this scourge, In 1890
the disease prevailed in France, Italy,
Belgium, Austria Hungary, Switzerland,
Roumania and Bulgaria. In 1883 losses
in England from this disease were esti-
mated at SIS, 0OO, 900. An English author
ity states that it is none to high to place
the loss upon each animal infected but
RECEIVERS at 500.
Estimating the losses upon the sur
viving animals upon this basis, and ad-
ding the value of those that die, it will
be seen that an outbreak of this disease
may quickly result in the direct loss of
millions of dollars.
"In addition to this, considerable
spread of the contagion in this country
would entail the entire loss of our export
trade in live animals, interruptions of do
mestic commerce and guarantees which
would surpass the loss caused by the raw
ages of the disease.
THE disease is propagated by spe-
citic virus and outbreaks of it start from
pre-. existing outbreaks.
1.-The contagion is found in the serum
of the vescles in the mouth, feet and
udder; in the saliva, milk and other eX-
cretions and secretions.
"Animals may be infected directly, as
by licking in calves, by sucking, or indi-
rectly by carriers of the disease, as ma
nure, hay, utensils, drinking troughs,
cars, yards and pastures. Human beings
may carry the virus on their clothing.
The symptoms are:
''In three to six days (36 hours to 10
days-Dr. Law after exposure of the
animal to infection the disease makes it's
appearance. 1t is first Indicated by a
chill, quickly followed by fever, which
may reach log degrees Fahrenheit.
Following this, in one or two days, it
will be noticed that small vesicles or
blsters about the size of hemp seed or
a pea are making their appearance upon
the mucous membrane of the mouth at
the border and upper surface of the
tongue, near the tip, inside the cheeks,
on the gums and the inner surface of the
lips, or on the margin of the dental pod.
These little blisters contain yellowish,
watery fluid and gradually become ex-
tensive as the disease advances.
"Soon after the eruption has appeared
in the mouth it will be noticed that there
is considerable swelling, redness and ten
derness shown about the feet, at the
coronet and between the. toes. Eruptions
similar to those in the mouth make their
appearance upon these swollen regions of
the foot day or SO later. In cows the
udder, and more particularly the teats,
show the same vascular eruption.
GAS soon as the disease has become
we'll established the patient evinces pain
when attempting to eat; in fact the APP
petite is often so seriously affected that
all food is refused and the animal I'M
easily opens and shuts the mouth with a
characteristic smacking sound, while
strings of cohesive, ropy, saliva hang
from the lips. With the ad-
vance of the disease the vesicles or blist-
ers have widened and extended until they
may reach diameter from that of a dime
to that of silver dollar. After they
have bursted the grayish white men,
brane forming the blister, may remain
attached for day or more or disappear
quickly and leave deeply redeemed, SEN
sitive spots both within the mouth and
upon the coronets and between the toes.
'1n the malignant type of the disease
it requires from three months to a, year
for an animal to recover. The mortality
is not great, generally about to per
cent. but in severe outbreaks it may
reach per cent 1t is more fatal in
young animals that have been fed ON in