Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-12
THE FOOT and
MOUTH DISEASE
Strong Effort to Stamp
Out the Cases in Mas
sachusetts History
of the Disease Epi-
denic Worst Known

Boston, Nov. 11.-(Special-T
Massachusetts Bureau of Animal In
dustry and the Federal Bureau are
cooperating to wipe out the Foot and
Mouth disease in Massachusetts. The
Brighton and WATERFOWL Yards, the
( Somerville slaughtering houses, and
the Brighton abbatoir, are all included
in the quarantine, and no stock can
be received at either Brighton or
Watertown until the yards have been
thoroughly fumigated and disinfected.
Stock on hand when the order was
issued was allowed to be killed. and
stock in transit was received. Orders
have been received by the railroads TO
accept no more shipments for these
destinations.
A thorough fumigation of the yards
and slaughter houses is in process by
the state authorities, and they are
also. inspecting all cattle in the state
as fast as possible. AS the disease
was spread through shipments from
Brighton and Watertown, the bureau
is endeavoring to trace all shipments
from the yards for several weeks
past, in order to take prompt steps in
stopping the spreading of the disease.
At the stock yards the state has six
inspectors, who are obliged to take the
utmost precaution. They wear hip
boots of rubber, rubber coats, and
rubber hats, and carry disinfectants.
They are obliged to make a complete
change in their clothing, before leav-
ing the yards.
Under the orders that have been is
sued no live stock except horses can
be brought into Massachusetts or
shipped out of the state, and no hay.
fodder, grain, packing hay, hides Or
leather can be shipped out of the
state. as the disease can be carried in
these. The first order has been
amended SO that live stock shipped in
crates or cars marked for immediate
slaughter" may be delivered on the
premises where they are to be killed
The driving of cattle. sheep or hogs
over any highway in the state is pro-
hibited by a recent order, except I'M
der special permit. This Is because
the disease may be caught by cattle
merely walking where infected cattle
have walked within few days. No
farm utensils or feed can be moved
from infected farms.
Massachusetts November 4, in a COW
shipped from the Brighton yards to
Amherst. 1t appears that number
of cows at the Brighton yards last
week were infected with the foot and
mouth disease, but unfortunately 1t
was in its incipient stage, and was
not discovered by the inspectors. If
the cattle had been received one day
later the disease would have been
noted at the yards, and it's spread
would have been prevented.
All the cases found in Massachu-
sets are traceable to Brighton, and
there have been no cases yet Of in
lection from one state herd to another.
The disease spread rapidly through
the herd at Amherst, 10 cattle being
infected. Since then cases have been
found in Mendon, South Attleboro.
Taunton, Bellingham, Belmont, and
one case at the Brighton yards. Sew
eral herds are being watched, as the
infection is feared The disease has
been found in Rhode Island, in cattle
shipped from Brighton last week.
1t is alleged that the disease may
be spread through deer, which are
susceptible to it, and might become
infected through pastures or roads
over which infected cattle have
passed, and might infect other cattle
in the same way. This danger is not
considered serious, however, and 1T Is
rather improbable that deer in the
state will be placed in position 10
become infected.
The effect. of the outbreak upon the
milk supply is an important and seri-
Gus phase of the matter. Where
cows have been found to be infected
the sale Of their milk has been pro-
hibited. but no other steps have been
taken to stop the sale Of milk, and
this has been left to the local authori-
ties, although 1t is admitted that the
disease can be transmitted through
milk. AS there is no foot and mouth
disease in New Hampshire, Vermont
or Maine. shipments of milk = Mas