Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-13
THE FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE
Authoritative Discussion Its Transmission and EfectsHgy Con-
agous Character Renders Vigorous Measures Necessary
Precaution Among Human Beings Is Wise
BY LOUIS A. KLEIN
na.n Of n. School Of v.tn.ty Medicine tnIysz Of rnnI,

The regulations must be stringent to be el-
fective. Where the number Of animals co"-
cerned is not so great to make the expense
prohibitive it has been found most economical
to destroy and bury all diseased and eXpoSeu
animals. This is the most certain methou ol
stamping out the disease and it Is also 'ne
cheapest In the long run. It has been used
with success I'm Denmark where II origihaIeu'
and In England and the United States. In
those countries I'm which the diseased and eX-
posed animals are quarantined until ne"
cases cease to appear, the losses are consider
able and continuous and the disease is con-
stant menace to the live stock industry
After the animals are disposed of, the prem
ises must be carefully cleaned ana ulshl-
fected also all infected fodder ana manure
destroyed. At time like the present Wheh
it is not certain that all Of the infected AMI
mails have been located, It Is also necessary
to prohibit cattle sales and the movement Vi
animals from one farm to another Inc re-
moval of hay and straw from farms ana tne
shipment Of hides must also be stopped loI
the time being.
U1HE disease may be transmitted to man
i through milk and other dairy produots
Cases were reported in man and especiaiy III
children during the previous outbreaks Oh 'ne
disease in this country. In the present ou'-
break, the affected animals are very iarselS
steers and hogs and the danger from t"'S
source Is probably less than In the l9OS OUT
break. The danger from this source may Oo
entirely avoided by heating milk at 100 ue-
erees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or at 176 to
1856 degrees Fahrenheit for an Instant inc
virus circulates in the blood only during the
first dny or two, consequently the meat, eX-
cent the tongue will be free from the infeo-
tion except possibly when the animal is
slaughtered during the first stages OF the uls-
eese No cases of the disease in man whlch
could be traced to the meat have been OBJ
served and the danger from this source Is
very slight
Cattle are the most susceptible to the dis
ease Next In order come hogs and then sheep
and goats Symptoms usually appear in the
second to the seventh day after intecuon
takes place. The disease begins with fever,
which is often not manifested by any Vlsiole
symptoms in adult animals. In two or three
DAYS veslces or blisters appear in the mouth
and on the feet, also on the udders or cows
and these subsequently rupture and iorHl
ulcers. The most noticeable symptoms are
dribbllng of saliva and lameness. The mouth
symptoms are the most prominent in cattle
and the foot symptoms in hogs and sheep.
TTIJIs is the sixth time the disease has ap-
| i peared In the United States. The first out
break occurred in 1870, and the others In 1880
| 1884 19O2-OS and 1908. The regulations OF the
! Federal Government guard all the known
channels through which the disease may en-
! ter. but in each of the recent outbreaks the
! disease has come in through some new and
unexpected way. The infection In 1908 was
imported in smallpox virus and that channel
NJ infection has since been protected, but In
the present outbreak the infection appears to
| have been brought in with some material
used in tanning hides5-a source never before
incriminated. On all previous occasions OF It's
appearance the disease has been stamped out.
The outbreak in 1908 was suppressed and all
quarantine restrictions removed in less than
five months. a record time for such work In
the present outbreak, however, the infection
was carried into the Chicago stock yards the
greatest distributing point for cattle and
hogs in the country and the disease is con-
\ seouently more widely disseminated than
ever before.