Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-20

In consequence the animal persists in
| lying down and bedsores soon deveI-
op- The udders of milk cows are also
susceptible and the sores interfere
with milking.
Mortality Is Low.
Although the mortality is excant In
very severe outbreaks. comparatively
low. foot and mouth disease is prob-
ably the mos: contagious OF all stock
plaques The germ which causes il is
so small that it is invisible under the
microscope and passes through the
hnest filter known TO science. 1t can
be carried in any one of a hundred
ways. In addition to direct contact
with affected animals, the disease can
be communicated by hay. strawbed-
ding. harness. ropes, in fact. anything
that has even indirectly come in con
tact with diseased animals Cats
dogs and poultry have been known to
carry the germ from farm to farm.
and in particular this is frequently
done by human beings. Already in
the present outbreak cases are on rec
ord where the curiosity OF farmers has
led them TO visit infected herds. On
their return TO their homes these
men have given the disease to their
own animals. For this reason the au-
thorities are urging upon every one
the duty of refraining from such visits
and of keeping strangers from visiting
their stock
The contagiousness of the disease
indeed is such that when one animal
in a herd becomes infected it is con-
sidered useless to attempt to save
the remainder of the herd. For this
reason the federal authorities have
adopted the only practical method OF
stamping out the disease. namely, the
slaughter of all cattle. When a case
is discovered a deep trench is dug.
the animals led into il. slaughtered.
their hides slashed. and the carcasses
treated with quicklime and then bur
led under at least five feet of earth.
II is advisable to slaughter the ami
mails in the ditch itself in order that
the ground may not become affected
by dragging the dead bodies over it.
The hides are sIashed partly in order
to facilitate the action of the lime
and partly to remove any temptation
. TO dig them up again and sell them.
The entire farm premises are the thor
. oughly disinfected and no stock al
lowed upon them for a period of APP
prcximately 60 days.
Appraiser Values Herd.
In order to compensate the owner
for his property thus condemned in
/ the interest of the public welfare. an
/ appraiser is appointed by the state au-
thorities 20 value the herd. The sum
thus fixed is divided equally between
the state and the federal authorities.
In the last outbreak in 1908 in New
England il cost the federal govern
ment. which was then paying two
thirds OF the appraised values, APP
prcximately 100000 for condemna-
ton. slaughter and disinfection. The
present outbreak is regarded as much
more serious.
The inspectors engaged in this work
are equipped with complete rubber
outfit which can be thoroughly disin-
fected after each exposure to infection.
Persons who have not the advantage
OF this equipment should vigorously
+ refrain from exposing themselves to
the least risk of infection. AS has
already been said the disease is fire.
quently transmitted by human beings.
and il is really a crime for anyone TO
satisfy his curiosity at the expense
I of his neighbors. In addition to this
danger there are also a number of
/ cases on record in which both children
and adults have become infected them
selves. Ordinarily the disease is not
serious in men, but weakly children
who drink contaminated milk suffer
so severely that in a few cases death
has been known to result With adults
the malady usually takes no more
serious form than slight eruption in
the mouth similar to fever blisters
and possibly similar eruption on the
hands and fingers. There may be also
some fever and nausea, but there is |.
comparatively little danger In coun-
tries where the disease is prevalent f,
many authorities believe that il is
fairly general in human beings but !
that the consequent disturbances in 7
health are so slight that they are not
brought to the attention of physicians
Started in Michigan.
The present outbreak originated in ]
southern Michigan but how the germ I
found its way there is not yet def 4
niteIy known. 1t seems probable that /
some cattle became infected. that /
their milk was sent to a creamery and I
the skim milk then returned TO be fed /
TO hogs. a herd of these infected (
hogs was then shipped TO Chicago I
where they infected the stock yards /
before they themselves revealed any /.
symptoms of the disease. Once this /
had taken place, every shipment OF
stock from Chicago to other parts OF I
the country was likely to spread the I
infection. For this reason federal IN
spectors have for some time now been !
engaged in tracing, by the aid OF bills
of lading and other railroad records
each of these shipments TO its dest-
nation and inspecting the stock there.
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