The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-11-13
TO wage
A FIGHT
Against The Foot And Mouth
Disease
Government Takes Up The
Work At Once
How Animals Act That Have
The Disease
And How Quickly They Infect
Other Animals
The Owners Of Slaughtered
Cattle Are Reimbursed

Washington, ID. c., Nov. 10-The
Secretary of Agriculture has issued
the following statement regarding the
quarantine for foot-and-mouth disease:
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 FIVE
previous outbreaks in this country. I'm
less the infection can be Immediately
localized and quickly eradlcated, 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 the
sickness. While the mortality Is 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
fected becomes valueless for breeding,
as 1t may continue to be constant
| carrier OF contagion.
IT Is possibel 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 treatment or
killing of single animal in a herd was
tried in an outbreak and did not prove
effective, for the 9ason that the re-
mander of the herd soon became al
ieoted and had 10 be killed.
As result OF the 1--WE outbreaks in
| this country, and other disastrous epi-
denies OF the disease in Europe and
Great Britain, veterinary author tiles of
| The United States are agreed that the
only method OF combating the disease
is to stop all movement of stock and
material which have been subjected to
any danger of infection, and to kill of
without delay all herds In which the
disease has gained any foothold. This
enables the authorities to eradicate af-
fected herds and to isolate and hold un-
der observation all suspected herds.
For these reasons, the Department
OF Agriculture has already quarantined
10 rAr ha a M.
ease. The Federal quarantine prevents
all interstate movement of stock and
materials likely TO carry the infection.
At the same time, the State authorities
are imposing local quarantines which
prevent the passage OF animals from
farms or localities known to be- infect.
ed 10 other localities In the same State
IN which the disease has not appeared
Each infected herd as rapidly as tho
disease Is discovered, Is killed aud
the dead animals buried in covering
OF lime. The skins of the animals are
slashed so as Co permit the rapid ac-
tion OF the lime
hhN pNh'i VI AhR SihuEhtbttu
mails is reimbursed on basis of the ap-
praised value of the herd, the apprais-
er being appointed by the state. The
expense OF the whole process OF con
demnation and disinfection is divided
equally between the Federal and State
governments.
Until the entire premises have been
thoroughly disinfected and all danger
of spreading the disease removed, the
farm Ia quarantined by tho local au-
thorities in the same way in which 1t
would be for a contagious human dis.
case. This local quarantine prevents
the visit OF individuals or the trans
fer OF any produce OF animals from
the farm to other farms. In some cas-
es. because human beings can carry
the disease to other herds, the State
authorities have prevented children on