The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-11-20
How to Detect
the Foot and
Mouth Disease

80 free from fO0t ana mouth disease
that comparatively few farmers are
familiar with the symptoms or appre-
ciate the seriousness of the present
outbreak which has led to the quar-
antine by the United States govern
ment of large areas In the United
States the disease has appeared only
on five previous occasions-namely,
1870, 1880, 1904, 1923 and 1908.
of these the last ,wo were much the
most serious, ard the outbreak IN
1908 cost the United States depart
ment of agriculture $299,112.1O to
stamp out, without taking into con-
sideration the time regular employees
b of the department took from their or
binary duties to fight the pestilence.
Moreover, the loss to stock raisers
was very great, and many dairymen
were actually put out of business.
The present outbreak seems to be
fully equal to that of 1908 both in
virulence and in extent of the terri
tory affected 1t behooves every one,
therefore, to assist to his utmost the
federal authorities in their campaign
of determination. The chief weapons
employed in this campaign are, first
a rigid quarantine of all suspected
stock, and second, the immediate
slaughter of all infected and exposed
animals. AS a matter of fact, the
disease is so contagious that If one
animal in a herd is infected there is
practically no possibility of keeping
the others from becoming diseased.
To attempt to do so would be merely
to multiply many times the danger of
spreading the pestilence. The entire
herd is therefore slaughtered at once.
In 1908 appraisers were appointed to
determine the value of the condem-
ned herds, and the owners were then
reimbursed to the extent of the ap-
praised value of their stock. This
method is now being followed in the
present campaign, the expense being
divided equally between the federal
and the state governments. AS soon
as an instance of the disease is dis
covered in a herd deep trench is
dug. To this the animals are led,
shot, and covered with at least five
feet of earth. To hasten the destruc-
ton of the carcasses as we'll as to
prevent, their being dug up again by
persons willing to obtain the value
of their hides at the cost of spreading
the infection over the entire country
the hides are slashed and the car
cases cut open and covered with
quicklime The inspectors engaged
in this work are equipped with rub
Der coats, gloves, boots and hats,
which are thoroughly disinfected each
time the diseased or infected animals
are handled. Foot and mouth disease
is defined an IAN acute and highly
contagious fever of specific nature
characterized by the eruption of the
vesicles of the mouth, around the cor.
onets of the feet and between the
toes" 1t affects principally cattle
hogs, sheep and goats. The germ
of the foot and mouth disease is an
organism so small that it cannot even
be deteced by the microscope. II
may be spread in one or dozen ways
carried on the clothing, in hay
straw, fodder, conveyed by direct con
tact or picked up from ground ovel
which diseased animals have passed
After the animal has become infected
it takes from three to six days fol
the disease to manifest itself. til
first indications are chill, which il
quickly followed by fever, the tenn
perature sometimes rising as high al
1O6 degrees Fahrenheit. In day OF
two small vesicles about the size Of
hemp seed or peas appear about the
mucous membranes of the mouth, or
the upper surface of the tongue, the
inside of the cheeks, on the gums
and the inner surface of the lips
These visicles contain yellow
watery fluid and spread rapidly. Soo1
after they first appear in the mouth
the feet become red, swollen ant
tender. This is followed by an erup
ton similar to those in the mouth
In the case Of milk cows the sam,
eruptions appear upon the udder ant
the teats. Eating is now so painful
to the animal that all food is fire.
quently refused. The mouth is open
ed and shut with a characteristic,
smacking sound, and there Is consid
cradle soldering, ropish salivt
hanging from the lips. The feet be
come so sore that the animal persists
in lying down and thus causes ba<
cores to deyelop with astonishing "a