120 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



seated, that is, they are in the very upper layers of the skin. The 

 skin at these places is simply elevated to a slight degree, and 

 evidently contains a fluid. Perhaps the nearest simile I could 

 draw is what you all have had on the hand or other parts of the 

 body, resulting from a slight burn, — what is known as an ordi- 

 nary water blister. The outer skin is elevated and contains a 

 watery fluid. It is something like this that we see in the mouths 

 of these diseased cattle. The little blisters may be quite small, 

 not larger than a pin head, or they may be as large as an inch 

 in diameter. They occur on the lips, occasionally outside of the 

 mouth but usually on the inside ; on the gums, on the tongue, 

 on the sides of the cheek and even back in the throat. It is the 

 serum or lymph within these little blisters or vesicles which con- 

 tains the infectious agent, whatever it may be. Very shortly 

 after they have formed they burst, and with the bursting of 

 course the infectious agent is dropped from the mouth with the 

 saliva, onto the floor or the food. As soon as the blisters burst 

 they leave raw surfaces which are increased in extent by the 

 constant motion of the mouth and the tongue, so that at such 

 times the mouth, or parts of the mouth inside appear to be 

 exceedingly raw, as if they had been quite severely injured. 

 During this time of course the animal eats with great difficulty, 

 and evidently suffers more or less pain. When the lesions or 

 blisters are upon the foot, they appear most commonly between 

 the bifurcations of the hoof and just above the hoof where the 

 skin and the foot join. They are similar in every respect to those 

 found in the mouth, simply water blisters or vesicles containing 

 this lymph or serum, which, when they burst, runs down upon 

 the hair or hoof. The animal at this time shows decided pain 

 in the feet, great inability to walk and a strong desire to lie down 

 and rest. If such animals are in the pasture, they find great 

 difficulty in getting about in quest of food and consequently lose 

 very rapidly in flesh. These vesicles may also appear upon the 

 udder and upon the teats of milch cows, sometimes also extend- 

 ing along the belly. It is perfectly easy to see how such an 

 affection takes place through the hands of the milker. Probably 

 he has been handling the cow, treating her in some way, and 

 then he milks and the infection is carried to the teats and to the 

 udder. You can see how from the bursting of these vesicles 

 the lymph reaches the milk and the milk is infected. 



