Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-10-27
FACTS ABOUT foot
And MOUTH" DISEASE

animal diseases. Even HES Spredu IL
! from farm to farm.
| 2. There is no known cure for it.
While under good care an average OF
about only to 5 per cent of grown
cattle, 80 to so per cent of calves, 20
per cent of hogs and Is per cent OF
sheep die outright from the disease,
yet when animals become affected with
it, like veneral disease or Scrofula in
human beings, it smolders in the sys-
tenn and is liable to break out again
at any time While the number Of
! immediate deaths are comparatively
few, yet under ordinary care the con-
dition of many of the surviving ami
mails is often deplorable.
8. This disease has been pravelent
in Europe for over a century, where
the quarantine method with military
enforcement has been apOpted
for it's suppression, with the result
that it has spread over the continent
and become permanent, so that it is
now too late to adopt the slaughter
method and there is no hope for it's
eradication.
4. The United States has had six
epidemics of the disease prior to the
present one, in 1870, 1880, 1884, 1902,
1908, and 1914 all of which were quick
ly stamped out by the method of i'm
mediate slaughter and burial of all in
fected and exposed animals and clean
ing and disinfecting the premises. The
| United States is the only nation that
has adopted the slaughter method
from the start, and the only one that
has ever succeeded in completely
stamping out the disease.
5. The National Dairy Herd has
sometimes been referred to as an ex-
ample of recovery. But that was an
| isolated case. 1t would be impossi-
BILE to establish on any farm such
quarantine as was done in that in
stance. The cattle were completely
| isolated, together with their herds
men, in the connected second story
of line of great brick buildings, with
fly screens at all windows and police
and veterinary guards at locked doors
day and night, so that there was no
possible communication with the sick
cattle by either insects, birds, animals
or men, except the veterinary directors
of treatment who were thoroughly
fumigated every time they passed in
or out Besides, the cost, within it
self is prohibitive.
6. Not only is it an expensive and
useless undertaking to attempt an eff
ficient farm quarantine and cure, but
| in addition to that expense, even when
attempted under the best of such con-
ditions, the cost of the disease, on &C
count of loss in the condition of the
surviving animals after apparent re-
covery, is far greater than the loss
| from death outright, and there is no
recovery of expenses and damages
from either state of nation.
z. On the other hand, if the infect
ed and exposed animals are appraised
and killed by the authorities, the own
ers RECEIVERS their value as sound ami
mails together with all expenses of
their burial and disinfection of his
premises and for all loss because of
sheds, hay or other property destroyed
on account of the disease.
! s. Certainly there is every induce
ment for the owners of suspected
herds to report them Immediately to
the nearest veterinarian and let the
! law take it's course, rather than to en-
danger the whole neighborhOOd and
perhaps the nation at large by either
trying to suppress knowledge OF the
infection or attempting a cure under
quarantine. In order to protect his
own interests and those of all his
neighbors as we'll as the community
at large, every farmer and stOckman
should be encouraged to report at once
to the authorities any rumOr or news
of suspected infection, so that any
cases of the disease bay be inspected,
appraised and buried as quickly as
possible to prevent the infection from
/ spreading. To this end, spirit of CO.
operation with the authorities should
be encouraged beforehand as well as
during the presence of the epidemic
! in ae neighbOrhOOd.
There is urgent need of such action
as that advised above, so that normal
market conditions, full live stock val
ues, and renewed confidence in the
live stock industry may be restored as
soon as possible, which can be done
only by quickly wiping out all traces
of Foot and Mouth" disease in the
United States, and all obstacles should
be removed and all encouragement be
given to that end.
The present epidemic of Foot and
Mouth" disease is costing the live
stock producers of this country humid
rods of thousands of dollars dai1V in
reduced market prices resulting from
disturbed market conditions and re-
duced demand. Unless the authorities
are given proper assistance, ready CO.
operation and every opportunity to
speedily exterminate the disease, the
losses directly and indirectly result
ing from it will mount to higher fig
ures still. There is no more important
question before the agricultural inter-
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