The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-11-28
The FOOt-and-
Mouth Disease

only nVe outbreaks In tne history IL
the country and of these the first three
were unimportant and the two others
confined to a comp aratively limited
area. In Europe, however, it has long
been we'll known and dread scourga.
Should it ever be permitted to estab-
lish itself as firmly here it would
cause not only tremendous losses to
stock but seriously interfere with the
supply of meat for the people.
The foot-and- mouth disease affects
particularly cattle, swine and sheep.
1t is characterized by sores in the
mouth which make swallowing pain
full and frequently cause the animals
to refuse all food, and by sores on the
feet which cause lameness and in
severe cases, occasionally result in the
hoofs dropping off. The animals lose
flesh with extraordinary rapidity and
in the case of milk cows the milk sup
ply is so serios!y affected that it fire.
quently dries up altogether. The first
evidences of the disease are chill fol-
lowed quickly by fever, the tempera
ture sometimes rising as high as 106
degrees Fahrenheit. Small vesicles or
blisters about the size of pea appear
shortly after in the mouth and spread
rapidly. AS the disease advances ropy
saliva hangs from the afflicted ami
mails mouth, which is opened and shut
with peculiar smacking sound. In
short time similar eruptions appear
on the feet, which are red, tender,
swollen and painful. In consequence
the animal persists in lying down and
bedsores soon develop. The udders
of milk cows are also susceptible and
the sores interfere with milking.
Most Contagious of Stock Plaques.
Although the mortality is, except in
very severe outbreaks, comparatively
low, foot and-mouth disease is prob
ably the most contagious of all stock
plaques. The germ which causes it is
so small that it is invisible under the
microscope and passes through the
finest filter known to science. 1t can
be carried in any one of hundred
ways. In addition to direct contact
with affected animals, the disease can
be communicated by hay, straw, bed
ding, harness, ropes, in fact, anything
that has even indirectly come in con-
tact with diseased animals. Cats,
dogs, and poultry have been known to
carry the germ from farm to farm,
and in particular this is frequently
done by human beings. Already In
the present outbreak cases are on re-
cord where the curiosity of farmers
has led them to visit infected herds.
On their return to their own homes
these men have given the disease to
their own animals. For this reason
the authorities are urging upon every
one the duty of refraining from such
visits and of keeping strangers from
visiting their stock.
The contagiousness of the disease
indeed is such that when one animal
in a herd becomes infected it is con-
sidered useless to attempt to save the
remainder of the herd. For this rea-
son the fedora! authorities have adopt
ed the only practical method of stamp
ing out the disease, namely the
slaughter of all cattle, sheep and
swine on an infected farm. When
case is discovered deep trench is
dug, the animals led into it, slaught-
cred, their hides slashed, and the car
cases treated with quicklime and then
buried under at least five feet of earth.
1t is advisable to slaughter the ami
mails in the ditch Itself in order that
the ground may not become affected
by dragging the dead bodies over it.
The hides are slashed partly in order
to facilitate the action of the lime and
partly to remove any temptation 10
dig them up again and sell them. The
entire farm premises are the thor
oughly disinfected, and no stock al
lowed upon them for period of APP
proximately sixty days.
Appraiser Values the Herd.
In order to compensate the owner
of his property thus condemned in the
interest of the public welfare, an APP
praiser is appointed by the State au-
thorities to value the herd. The sum
thus fixed is divided equally between
the state and the federal authorities.
In the last outbreak in 1908 in New
England it cost the federal govern
ment, which was then paying two
thirds Of the appraised values, APP
proXlmately S3OO,OOO Tor condemna-
ton, slaughter and disinfection. The
present outbreak is regarded as much
more serious.
The inspectors engaged in this work
are equipped with complete rubber
outfit which can be thoroughly disin-
fected after each exposure to infec-
ton. Persons who have not the ad-
vantage of this equipment should rig
orously refrain from exposing them
selves to the least risk of infection. AS
has already been said the disease is
frequently transmitted by human
beings, and it is really crime for any
one to crafty his curiosity at the eX-
pense of his neighbors. In addition
to this danger there are also a num-
Der of cases on record in which both
children and adults have become in
fected themselves. Ordinarily the
disease is not serious in men, but
weakly children who drink contain
mated milk suffer so severely that in a
few cases death has been known to
result. With adults the malady US
ually takes no more serious form than
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