Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-02-04
Farmers Aid in Foot and Mouth
Fight.

Farmers Aid in Foot and Mouth
Fight.
The recent lifting of the foot-and-
mouth quaran tines from large areas
previously closed and the modifica-
ton of the quarantines in still other
sections has been made possible,
Federal authorities say, by the CO.
operation not only of the various
State officials but of farmers and
stockmen themselves. Where this
cooperation has been most in evil
dence, progress in the eradication of
the disease has been most rapid. The
Federal authorities have of course
control. over the movement of live
stock in interstate commerce only;
the local quarantines are established
and enforced by the State. Their ef-
ticieucy depends in great measure up
on the willingness of the people to
submit to the necessary restrictions.
Indiana and Michigan are cited as
instances of the Importance in this
respect of public opinion. In Michi-
gan the first herd was slaughtered on
October 10. Cases of the disease ex-
listed in 15 Michigan counties and in 1S
in Indiana. In all, $50 herds were af-
fected. Sixty days later these herds
had all been slaughtered and the in
fected premises cleaned and freed
from disease. In the interval there
had been only few scattering in
stances, half dozen possibly, Of the
plague spreading from these different
centers of infection to neighboring
farms.
The people not only observed the
quarantine regulations but they did
all in their power to expedite the
work of slaughter. In many cases
they had the bitches in which the
animals were to be buried dug and
waiting for the killing gangs. AS a
rule no objection was taken to the ap-
praiser's valuation of the condemned
stock, which is the more surprising in
view of the fact that so little was
generally known of the seriousn ess of
the disease. The farmers did not
want to part with their stock. They
saw that the sore mouths and feet
grew better and they had had no ex-
perience with the after effects of the
pestilence-the constant aborting, the
failure to produce milk, the ability to
disseminate disease months after the
visible symptoms had disappeared.
Nevertheless they accepted the situa-
ton, helping instead of hindering.
In only very few cases was there
any attempt to conceal the existence
of the disease; in act, public opinion
was SO strongly against this that it was
practically impossible to do so. In
one instance a man fed some skim
milk from a creamery to calf which
later developed foot and mouth di-
sease. 1t occurred to him to kill the
calf and say nothing of the matter.
The neighbors, however, obtained
some inkling Of the facts and notified
the authorities. After he had been
Ifnrood ~ n odr,,it thaf ha hod l1ilIad tho
calf the body was dug up and un-
mistakable marks Of the disease
found upon it. Within two weeks all
the rest of the herd was infected and
had to be killed. In addition, the own
er was fined 500 or so for breaking
the quarantine regulations. The senti-
ment of the whole community, il
should be noted, was against him.
In another case in Michigan an in
dividual with weakness for dogs, OF
which he owned five or six, ignored
the regulation which required all dogs
to be tied up in order to prevent their
picking up and spreading the disease,
With him, as with the calf owner, il
was the neighbors who objected The
sheriff tied up the dogs and their own
er paid fine of 1928. A week or ter
days afterwards he was punished more
severely by the loss of all his cattle
which came down with the disease
and had to be slaughtered. There
had been no previous outbreak in that
neighborhood forthree weeks.