Evening star., 1914-11-15
Health Department Takes
Further Steps to Combat Foot
and Mouth Infection.
FORCE OF INSPECTORS
GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS
Discussion of Methods of Diagnosing
the Malady and Systems of Dis
infection Explained.

Encouraged by their success thus ia
In preventing the spread of foot an
mouth disease to the District of Co
1umbia, and fortified by wider knowl
edge as to how to detect it and thwart it:
progress. District health department in
spectors today will renew their activity
along the Maryland dairy farm frontier
10 the end that only milk from herds no,
affected by the disease may be shipped
into the District.
The entire inspection force which
has been at the front since the out
break started was called in yesterda,
for d conference at the Municipal build
ing. The. meeting was addressed BY
experts of the Department of Agricul.
ture. who have had more experience in
combating the foot and mouth disease
than have the local officials
Methods of diagnosing the disease and
of treatment and disinfection of ami
mails suffering from it were discussed
All the inspectors who have been
watching the Maryland situation asked
low under certain conditions. By the
time the meeting adjourned it was evil
dent that the health department force
felt that it was better equipped for the
been at any time since the quarantine
In Maryland became effective.
Health Officer William c. Woodward
called the meeting to order and intro
duced the speakers. DR.. A. Ward, chief
of the pathological division of the
bureau of animal industry. was the
first to address the conference. He
was asked a number of questions, as
were the speakers who followed him.
including DIR. Benjamin T. Woodward
and DR.. Adolph Eichorn, both of the
bureau of animal industry.
Conference Proves Valuable.
While no definite plan of cooperation
between District and federal govern
ment officials was worked out, the con-
ference. according to Dr. Woodward.
proved highly valuable from an educa-
tional standpoint. In attendance at
the meeting were many practicing vet
erinarians of the District, Maryland
and Virginia.
That foot and mouth disease has been
known to kill human beings, but that
as general rule, it is more annoy
ing than dangerous, was the statement
last night of DIR. John p. Turner, vet
erinarian of the District health de-
partment, who ia in charge of the in
spection force that is watching con-
ditions on the Maryland farms that
ship milk into Washington.
DR.. Turner, who has been making a
study Of the origin, progress and
effects of the disease, states that it is
most likely to prove fatal in the cases
of children by causing the develop
ment of gastro-intestina1 catarrh. His
discoveries and conclusions are sum-
med up in the following statement:
Owing to the prevalence of foot and
mouth disease in this vicinity there has
been a marked interest manifested by
the public as to its relation to man;
DO R~vnk1
human family. Fortunately, up to this
date. the disease in this section has
been limited to two farms in Mont
gomery county, and exclusively to beef
cattle.
Dairy Herds Not Affected.
lat this date. this disease is not on
any dairy farms. as far as it has come
to the knowledge of the proper au-
thorities. The danger to the human
arises in the use Of milk, butter, whey
and cheese from animals ill from foot
and mouth disease. While the danger
is notgreat. it is not to be underesti-
mated by the public, since many au-
thorities quote quite extensive out
breaks among people during extensive
outbreaks of foot and mouth disease.
In any outbreak of foot and mouth dis
ease on dairy farms. the danger to the
public lies in the use of raw milk or
milk which has been poorly pasteuriz-
ed. While the use of butter made from
the cream of cows SO affected is dan
Gerous for human consumption, the
average consumer of butter in this city
in using butter made from pasteurized
cream. and is thereby more or less
protected.
Those using country (nearby) but
ter should assure themselves that foot
and mouth disease does not exist on
the farm on which the butter is made
tends TO dairy cows. That the infection
is transmitted to humans through the
ingestion of raw milk of COWS having
foot and mouth disease has been so
frequently observed that il is not now
denied"
First Record of Man Infection.
The first evidence of man infection,
the statement says, was recorded dur
ing an outbreak in Hesse. Germany, in
1886, and subsequent instances are
given.
During different outbreaks" the
statement continues. "the cases
terminated fatally in thirty-six,
twenty-three and sixteen instances, re-
spectively. The disease in man is usu-
ally of mild type. but in children
gastro-intestinal catarrh may develop
and lead to fatal ending. However,
cases among adults have been noted Of
a very serious type.
The symptoms of foot and mouth
disease in the human develop in two or
three days after drinking milk from
diseased cows. In some cases, vomiting
occurs accompanied by mild fever. This
is followed by sense of warmth and
dryness in the mouth.
Other Symptoms.
The gums, cheeks and lips are red
dened. this condition Is followed by the
development of vesicles (blisters) the
size of pea on those parts and at
times on the edge of the tongue.
The paSts heal very rapidly after
these blisters burst. Occasionally such
bltsters appear on the nose and face
Eesicles appear on the hands, on the
points of the fingers. at the base of the
nails and on the volar surface of the
finger tips At times such blisters ap-
pear on the toes. Headaches, stomach
cramps and pains in the leg occur, with
diarrhea and great dullness in some
cases"
Tomorrow the Commissioners will
give a hearing on the protest Of the
~