284 CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF ANIMALS. 



histoiT of the disease, from the owner, and also from Mr. S. D. 

 Packard, who lives upon the adjoining farm, and who had previously 

 lost four animals of the same disease. Dr. Baile}- was enabled to 

 full}' make out a case, not of Murrain, but of Dysentery or "Bloody' 

 Flux ;" and while the latter has some S3mptoms in common with 

 Aphthous Fever, there are such distinctive features and points of 

 divergence between them that we are at once enabled to differ- 

 entiate the two diseases, although some portions of their pathology 

 may be closely allied. Prof. Law gives the causes of Dyseuteiy or 

 Bloody-Flux as those of Diarrhcea acting with greater energy, the 

 emanations from marshy, inundated soils, or from carcasses, putrid 

 or stagnant water, must}' or otlierwise altered food, or even a con- 

 taghivi. It occurs in cattle, horses and swine, and maj- be enzotic 

 on certain soils, or even epizootic. 



Foot and Mouth Disease is one of the most contagious and infec- 

 tious maladies which affects domestic animals, and is one of the 

 easiest of transmission, while we find the best authorities differ, and 

 some absolutely deny the contagious properties of Blood}- Flux. In 

 coming to the conclusions we do in the present case, we wish it to 

 be distinctly understood that we in no wise intend to establish a 

 precedent b}' which the State may be held liable for any doubtful, 

 non-contagious or curable cases to which our attention ma}' be 

 called, but in recommending as we do the payment of this claim, we 

 give the parties in interest the benefit of the doubt, because we have 

 ever}' reason to believe that the owners of the cattle and the officers 

 of the town acted in good faith, not only to protect themselves 

 against loss, but to prevent the spi-ead of what they believed to be 

 an infectious and contagious disease. 



In these cases, however, no precautions were taken to isolate any 

 of the animals from those affected, or to disinfect or to bury their 

 morbid dejections. The latter, being intolerably offensive and 

 loaded with blood and shreds of false membranes or sloughs, were 

 allowed to accumulate in the stables and yards, to be spread broad- 

 cast over the farms, and thus contaminate everything within their 

 reach. AVe have every reason to believe these cases at Monson to 

 have beeii of spontaneous origin upon adjoining farms, and to have 

 become contagious, if contagious at all, through entire lack of 

 ordinary care, or quarantine of the animals affected ; and we do not 

 apprehend the recurrence of the disease upon any other premises, 



