The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-07-21

0ARN 11tLTAnEO COAs L C0AoA AAo.>s
spect of public opinion. In Michigan
the first herd was slaughtered on Oct.
10. Cases of the disease existed in fiji
teen Michigan counties and in eighteen
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 instances-half
II dozen possibly-of the plague spread
ing from these different centers OF in
lection 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 We're
to be buried dug and waiting for the
killing gangs. AS a rule. no objection
was taken to the appraisers valuation
of the condemned stock. which Is the
more surprising in view Of the fact
that so little was generally known OF
the seriousness 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 experience 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 situation. helping instead
of hindering.
In only very few cases was there
any attempt to conceal the existence
OF the discase-in fact. public opinion
was so strongly against this that 1t
was practically impossible to do SO.
In one instance man fed some skim.
milk from Il creamery to calf. which
later developed foot and mouth dis
ease 1t occurred to him to kill the
calf and say nothing about the mat
ter The neighbors. however, obtained
some inkling Of the facts and notified
the authorities. After he had been
forced to admit that he had killed the
calf the body was dug up and unmis-
taxable 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 owner
was fined $50 or so for breaking the
quarantine regulations. The sentiment
Of the whole community. it should be
noted. was against him.
From such experiences live stock
authorities are more than ever con-
WINGED that skimmilz should invariably
be sterilized. The danger from the foot
and mouth disease is. of course. pass
ing one Previous epidemics have been
stamped out. and there is no reason to
suppose that this one will not be. Tu-
berculosis, however, is permanent
menace. Its symptoms are not so i'm
mediately noticeable, and 1t Is there
fore more difficult to trace the origin
of the infection. but there Is no doubt
that it is frequently disseminated in
skimmilk in the same way that the
foot and mouth disease was in the in
stances described.
Together with the creamer1es, public
sales Of live stock have proved them
selves most dangerous agents in
spreading foot and mouth disease. In
Indiana and Michigan the state author
tiles absolutely prohibited the holding
Of such sales In or adjacent to areas
where the disease existed. The spread
of the contagion in other states where
this prohibition was not enforced
shows the value Of the precaution, but
it requires strong and determined ac-
ton on the part Of the local authori-
ties.