St. Tammany farmer., 1914-11-21

lmal frequently persists in lying down
and bedsores develop with much
rapidity. In the case Of cows the
udder and, more frequently, the teats
are affected by similar eruption.
Once the disease is well establish
ed it becomes 90 painful for the ami
NAL to eat that food is frequently re-
fused altogether. Strings of saliva
hang from the mouth, and flesh Il:
lost with astonishing rapidity., When
the udder is seriously affected the
milk becomes contaminated and may
cause serious results to sucking
calves and young pigs. In mild cases
from 10 to 20 days may bring about
an apparent recovery, but this time
may be greatly extended. Moreover,
an apparent recovery by no means
implies real cure. The animal may
carry the virus in its blood for year
|or more and Is liable during all this
time to spread the contagion or to
experience a recurrence itself. The
mortality, considering the serious
ness OF the disease and the losses it
occasions, is very small, being esti-
mated by some authorities at per
cent, although 1t frequently is much
greater than this. The mortality,
however, by no means represents the
real losses occasioned by the disease.
No revenue Is possible from infected
herds. and in the case Of dairymen
an outbreak Of foot-and-mouth dis
ease frequently means that their bust
ness is completely ruined. Blooded
or other cattle that have become sick
with the disease naturally lose their
value as breeding animals. It is,
however, impossible to get rid Of the
disease by ignoring it, The only pos
sible remedy is to kill OF infected
herds, disinfect the premises, and be-
gin over again.
What the disease means to those
countries where it has gained a real
rip is shown by the fact that on its
last serious outbreak in Germany the
German Government spent $4,000
900 fighting it. In 1890 official sta
tistics showed that in the German
Empire 431,235 head of cattle, $780,
868 sheep and goats, and 153,8O8
swine were affected with the disease.
During the same year the pestilence
live stock in France, Italy,
Belgium, Austria-Hungary, Switzer-
land, Roumanfa and Bulgaria. In
1883 it was estimated that the dis
ease cost England $5.000,000. On
the occasion of the last outbreak In
the United States in 1908 100000
uvoo onuronrSo<od hw Nouwrouo5 oud
with the exception Of a few hundred
dollars it was spent in stamping out
the disease. This Of course does not
include the indirect loss caused by
the interruption of business and
other factors.
While the Federal Government is
active in fighting the disease through
its power to control interstate COM
merce, cooperation on the part Of tn,
State authorities is most essential
The quarantining individually Of in
[ected farms is a State matter, and
it is, Of course, q most essential pre-
caution. Farms on which the dis
ease has broken out should be as
'igidly quarantfned as IL some con-
.agious human diseases had been |
ound. Since the germs can be trans
ported by cats. dogs, chickens, or
human beings, nothing should be al I
owed to leave the farm until the
proper disinfecting measures have
'een taken. In particular, farmers
re urged to keep away themselves.
nd to assist in keeping others away,
rom all infected animals. The in
pectors who do the slaughtering and
lsinfecting are supplied with the
ecessary equipment OF rubber gloves
nd coats. boots and hats, which can
e thoroughly disinfected as often
necessary. Others who lack this
quipment merely help in spreading |
ne disease over the country when
hey visit or inspect sick animsls-I
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