The Nome nugget., 1924-05-03

The foot-a nd-mouth disease which
 IS at present raging in California is
 la very serious problem for the De- pertinent Of Agriculture to handle. This disease is highly contagious,
 and has at times been known to ef-
 feet human beings. The following Iexcenpt on rhe subject is taken from
 the Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture for the year 1914:
 Other animal diseases interfer2s seriously with meat production. and in cattle and hogs and st,n greater disturbance of industry are casfsed bv foot-and mouth disease. This dis, @se effects cattle, sheep. other
 rrp,irants and swine. N man Nests itself by abnormal elevation of tenn
 pe-ature and by ulcers or vcsicIes
 ill :he mouth and on the feet It lis not necessary fatal. but
 fir quently effects very seriously the vulue of the animals. There were 1cutbreaks of foot-ard- mouth disease
 in the country in 1870. 1880. 1884, | 1902 and 1908, since the close of
 the fiscal year 1914 the sixth out break has occurred. The first three. those in 1870, 1880. and 1884. were
 rrQlDa rativeIv strjaing. Those in 1902 and 1908 were more grave. | The present is the most seriously and extensive of all.
 "In 1902 the outbreak occurred in the New Engia nd States. Tn 1908 ' W originated ill Detroit. The origin cf each of these outbreaks was trac- ed to the Importation of vaccine vir for the propagation of vaccine for
 use in vaccinating people against smallpox. The vaccine virus was imported from Japan, where the foot and mouth diesease exists. Each oi these outbreaks were stamped out by methods which have proved most effective in preventing the disease from gaining d footing. These met hods involved the killing of all in feoted and exposed animals. varying of carcasses. and the thorough dis infection of all premises with which the animals may have come in con- tact.
 "On October 18th 1914 the Bur
 fsf o. pa1tment learned that cattle in the vicinity of Niles. Michigan. were in fected. It was thought for time that the trouble might be confined tn two counties in Michigan and the two adjoining counties in Northern Indiana, but evidently before the disease was reported and before IL vas diagnosed shipments of infected animals passed through the Chlcago stock yards Upon tracing ship ments from these yards animals in- fected with the disease were found at points in Michigan. Indiana. onio' Wisconsin,. Pennsylvania. Maryland, New Jersey Kentucky. Iowa. and
 Massachusetts Subsequentl points o, infection. have been discovered. The exist ance of the disease in Mon tana has been traced to animals from the infected area in Wisconsin. | ard it's existance in Washington has been traced from animals which crossed the trail of the Montana herd. The Department has taken every step possible to control the
 disease and prevent it's spread.
 "n has worked in close codpera-
 ton with the State authorities and with great numbers of indiyiduals l and associations of individuals. It l has pursued its former policy of
 purchasing disease and exposed cat- nle at an appraised value and of
 s,aughtering and burying them. It 1 has established and maintained a very strick quarantine. The ex-
 pense of this task will be very great.
 ard it will be necessary to ask Con-
 gress for an emergency appropria- tion of several million dollars. The
 interests at stake are vast and justi- fly any reasonable expenditure.
 Tt is not possible at the present time to state what the origin of the present outbreak was. The disease lis highly contagious. It may be 1
 or ruminants. or by human beings passing over territory which the dfs-
 ceased animals have traversed. Horses going over infected ground
 may convey the disease in dirt ad- herring to their feet. When one an Iii.,al in a herd becomes affected 1t
 has usually spread to all the others Il AS has besA stated, tAie outbrcaks II o@ 7O0A ana 1A0Q 1ArA tHAcnd to