The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-11-14
FIGHT AGAINST FOOT
AND-MOUTH DISEASE

The Secretary of Agriculture has
issued the oll,wing statement regard
ing the quarar tine for foot-and-moutI
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.
Unless the infection can be immed-
lately localized and quickly eradicat-
ed, 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 danger
Gus for human consumption; in the
case of breeding animals, the animal
once infected becomes value!ess for
breeding, as it may continue to be a
constant carrier of contayion.
1t is possible 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 treat
ment or killing of single animal in a
herd was tried in an outbreak and did
not prove effective for the reason that
the remainder of the herd soon be-
came effected and had to be killed.
AS result of the five outbreaks in
this country, and other disastrous cpl
denies of the disease in Europe and
Great Britain, veterinary authorities
of the United States are agreed that
the only method of combating the dis
ease is to stop all movement of stock
and material which have been subject
ed to any danger of infection, and to
kill off witohut delay all herds in
WHICH the disease has gained any
foothold. This enables the authorities
to eradicate affected herds and to iso-
late and hold under observation all
suspected herds.
For these reasons, the Department
VI agriculture Has already ludFdn-
tined ten States for the foot-and-
mouth disease. The Federal quaran-
tine prevents all interstate movement
of stock and materials likely to carry
the infection, At the same time, the
State authorities are imposing local
guarantees which prevent the pas
sage of animals from farms or local.
ties known TO be infected 70 other
localities in the same State in which
the disease has not appeared. Each
infected herd, as rapidly as the dis
ease is discovered, is killed and the
dead animals buried in a covering of
lime. The skins of the animals are
slashed so as to permit the rapid ac-
ton of the lime.
The owner of the slaughtered ami
mails is reimbursed on basis of the
appraised value of the herd, the APP
praiser being appointed by the State.
The expense of the wholep recess of
condemnation and disinfection is divi-
ded equally between the Federal and
State Governments.
Until the entire premises have been
thoroughly disinfected and all danger
of spreading the disease removed. the
fern is Guaranteed by the local au.
thorities in the same way in which it
a.sa MI o' ln - aouS "unian us
tho v;si+ nf ind;,;I u''i ''''oi'e preveme'
fer of any produce or animals frot4
cases hoca,,sn .,, 90, mp b.; ~ 'o,,'e
carrW ,bo J;Sa,,a 49, n+la,' i LsJ In a.
Stato omt;,o,;tia w. o,,,ei reiu9' ne
d,.aI r ;of,J e. $500 e','cu c''t,-
mo. scbooj +, o-bnr 49, - VI, II'T IT;
nois and 0h;o ~ GU e' E's ~, ~.
bovo closed tho Si,e 80 tu,t t;I
can he cIeanad and ,t!u J'''' ''e'
Tho e. ct - S't H. Ho &C.,
r. discnvor o,,d .o ", .ar Dep pa t,tgrt Is
Sick VIII tba ' $500 80 al tta al'i h.
heon 1891 r. III ~, VI a Ia Ia I "a.
oval and Sta+o ;ae snlS Gu o,.e re'I.
tror;nn ~, th'o.,, h;II W. a. my
,aij,.nad ' ,n,.J. M IL, VI iauits anu