South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-29
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

virus has worn itself out. At present
il seems that as soon as the animals
period OF acquired immunity Is over
and favorable conditions present
themselves, the cOntagion breaks out
with renewed hope OF controlling IL
by means OF guarantees. One scien-
list indeed has asserted that unless
all the infected farms were absolutely
Isolated and the movement not only
OF live stock but Of persons absolute
~ prohibited. the disease could not
be stamped out. Such a quarantine
is. OF course, utterly impossible 10 en-
force. In certain portions Of Ger
many. indeed, the farmers realizing
that the disease is inevitable make
haste 10 be done with il by exposing
their stock deliberately TO mild cases
In the hope that this will result in an
immediate mild attack and immunity
for several years thereafter.
Great Britain and Norway and
Sweden, on account Of their com
paratively isolated positions, have
been more successful in keeping out
the disease. The outbreaks in these
countries have been more sporadic
and by resorting TO immediate slaugh-
ter the authorities have been able to
stamp them out. In the outbreak
near Dublin in 1912, indeed, measures
were adopted which were more strin-
gent than any used in this country. AS
soon as the existence OF the disease
became definitely known, so-called
'stand-still' restrictions we're i'm
posed on the affected district. Not
only was the movement Of live stock
into or out of the district absolutely
forbidden, but no cattle, sheep, goats
OF swine could move along or even
across any highway or thoroughfare.
Closer Restrictions.
Moreover within each OF the affect
ed districts. known as scheduled dis
tricts' were two smaller areas in
which there were even closer restric-
tions. One of these areas consisted
Of the premises on which the actual
outbreak had taken place. These
premises were declared TO be an in
fected place" From such a place
nothing could be taken OF any sort
without permission, and no permits
sion was granted until the objects in
question had been thoroughly disin
fected No one but the person actual
ly attending the stock was allowed
TO enter any shed or field in which a
diseased or suspected animal had
been kept, and the one man who
could do so was compelled upon leav-
ing to wash his hands thoroughly with
soap and water and disinfect his
boots and clothes He was, moreover,
prohibited from caring for any animal
which was not diseased or suspected.
on farms adjacent to the infected
place" the owners of live stock were
ordered to stop all movements of
their animals, and these orders, to-
gether with the other regulations.
were enforced through the local con-
stabulary who closely guarded all in
fected places. This patrol was so
str no iT1n
sible for anyone to pass into or out
from the forbidden area without in
slant detection
Within the scheduled districts a
house-to-hOuse and farm to- farm in
spection was carried on by veterinary
inspectors who not only examined live
stock but made a record OF the num-
Der on each farm in order TO detect
any cases of surreptitious shipments.
Exposed stock was slaughtered, as
has been done in all sections of this
country where satisfactory progress
has as yet been made in stamping out
the pestilence.
In addition TO Strengthening the
stock, farmyards and similar places
were thoroughly disinfected; the fields
I in which the animals had graZed were
carefully strewn, by machines, with
newly burned lime; stacks of hay were
disinfected by superheated steam, the
foxes In the ne1BnDOrnOOd were de-
strOyed as far as possible by poison,
and all persons in the neighborhood
were compelled TO tie up their dogs.
/ The wheels of all vehicles and the feet
/ of horses which left the infected
! places were previously washed with
disinfectant fluid, and cans of this
fluid were placed about in fields so
that there would be no excuse for any
one failing to observe the required
precautions.
| These methods were successful in
stamping out the disease, although
there have been one or two minor
4 outbreaks in Ireland since that time.
In this connection 1t is interesting TO
note that the authorities in charge OF
the campaign were unable to discover
any clue TO the origin of the pest.
| "Foot-and- mouth disease" they re-
ported, lis of such an infectious char
acter and may apparently be carried
through so many diverse and elusive
ways that in this as in other cases
it is most difficult 10 fix on any speci-
fic medium of diffusing the infection.
The disease was probably carried, for
| the most part. by persons who had
been in contact with infected animals
but the connection between the various
cases could not be definitely traced
| except in one or two instances"