Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-11-27
SYMPTOMS OF FOOT
AND MOUTH DISEASE
"AMERICAN BREEDER" ID f.
SCRIBES DREADED CATTLE
PLAGUE IN MIDDLE WEST

The appearance of the dreaded foot
and mouth disease in the Middle
| West the latter part of October and
the strenuous quarantine and other
methods used to combat it, make the
following article from a recent issue
of THE American Breeder" of timely
interest:
This disease made it's appearance
in the United States in 1870, 1880,
1884, 1902 and 1908. Each of these
outbreaks were successfully eradi-
Gated, but at enormous expenditure
to our government and serious losses
to the cattle industry in which the
disease prevailed.
Symptoms of the Disease.
Foot and mouth disease is spe-
cific, infective and contagious disease,
principally affecting cattle, although
sheep, hogs and even man, himself,
are susceptible. The disease is evil
denced by soldering and the animals
eat with difficulty. There is high
temperature, the animals diminish in
! flesh rapidly. The muzzle is at first
dry and parched, but soon becomes
red and swollen, and the flow of sa-
Iva increased.
"Blisters or vesicles appear upon
the the mucous membranes of the
lips, cheeks and the dental pad, top
and margin of the tongue and even
the muzzle and nose may show SINH
lar diseased conditions. These blist-
ers vary from a mustard seed to a
mass one inch in diameter. The blist-
ers soon rupture, leaving a raw, red
dened surface which is very painful
and prevents the animal from masti-
eating food. This causes them to
make peculiar smacking sound.
Similar LESSONS are also found at the
junction of the hair with the hoof,
but is usually more marked on the
heels. The blisters may be found on
the cleft of the foot; the front feet
are usually more affected that the
hind ones. Blisters may also appear
on the teats of milk cows, although
in the milder cases the foot and teat
LESSONS may not be present.
1.-THE period of incubation varies
from one to four or five days.
Disease Very Destructive.
"This disease is very destructive.
not that it destroys the life of the
animal, but because of diminished
flow of milk and rapid emaciation
of the affected animals.
"Up to the 28th of October, 1854
affected herds had been identified by
the officials, Of which &c herds had
been slaughtered. thus it will be not
ed that the expense is serious. The
government has provision whereby
they pay SO per cent Of the value OF
the animals and fortunately in most
of the two states affected, officers
have made similar arrangements, so
that cattle owners in at least two
states are now receiving practically
full valuation of their cattle, but
should the disease become wide
spread, such an arrangement would
not be possible because Of the ex-
pense. The outbreak in 1908 cost
the United States government approx
imately 100000, and a like amount
was expended by the states in which
that outbreak occurred.
1.-The readers of the American
Breeder should use caution in the
purchase of animals in the section OF
the country in which disease is sus-
pected. Introduction of an infected
animal into a community where the
disease does not exist would mean
rapid spread and extensive destruc-
ton of animals in that community"