Evening star., 1914-11-15

the yards became infected there was
danger that every shipment of live
stock through Chicago to other parts
of the country might pick up the germs
OF the disease and spread the contagion.
These shipments, composed largely of
feeders and stockers. were sent to
farms for fattening, and did not remain
in Chicago long enough for the disease
to show itself in external symptoms.
Some of the cattle. carrying the con-
tagion. after shipment develop exter-
nal LESSONS. and this accounts for the
outbreak of the disease in states as far
this reason a large force of federal in
spectors is now running down every
shipment and examining the animals
or herds at their place of delivery.
At present the chief danger lies in
the possibility of there being concealed
sources of infection. Every effort is
being made by state and federal au-
thorities. not only to trace suspicious
the seriousness of the disease and the
extreme ease with which it is COM
municated, and to urge upon them to
report at once to state or federal au-
thorities all suspicious cases of sore
mouths or lameness.'
An excellent example of the CO.
o>>ration that -lsts between munich
pal. state and federal authorities is
found near home. The District of Co.
lumbia, Virginia and Maryland have
been laboring in unison to stamp out
the plague at the outset and prevent
a general infection of cattle. Whether
the officials of the states and the ma
tional government will be successful
it is too early yet to determine.
One element against which they
have had to combat Is the careless in
dividual who, having become infected,
n
catch foot and mouth disease from hu-
mans as well as from each other.
They can also become inoculated by
using hay which has been near an in
fected animal.
The seriousness of the situation is
made plain in the following statement
which was recently given out by the
bureau of animal industry:
1.-The present outbreak of the foot
and mouth disease, which is one of the
most contagious and destructive dis
eases of cattle, swine and sheep, ex-
ceeds in area affected any of the Ave
previous outbreaks in this country.
Unless the infection can be immedi-
ately localized and quickly eradicated,
it threatens untold losses among live
stock.
so contagious is the disease that in
past outbreaks where but one animal
in herd was infected the entire herd
in almost all cases later contracted
not high, the effects of the disease
even on animals that recover are such
as to make them practically useless.
They lose flesh rapidly; in the case Of
cows, the milk dries up or is made
dangerous for human consumption; in
the case of breeding animals. the ami
NAL once infected becomes valueless
for breeding, as it may continue to be
a constant carrier of contagion.
"It is possible to cure the external
symptoms, but during the process of
attempting to cure one sick animal
the chances are that hundreds of
others may be infected. The treat
ment or killing of single animal in
a herd was tried in an outbreak and
did not prove effective. for the reason
that the remainder of the herd soon
became affected and had to be killed.
"As result of the five outbreaks in
this country and other disastrous cpl
denies of the disease in Europe and
Great Britain, veterinary authorities of