Commissioner of Agriculture 261 



APPENDIX 



In view of the fact that there have been two serious outbreaks 

 of the foot and mouth disease in this country, it seems appropriate 

 that a full statement regarding the character of this disease be 

 included in this report. On request, the following account has, 

 therefore, been prepared by Dr. James Law, who had immediate 

 charge of the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 

 ISTew York. 



FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE 

 James Law, F. R. C. V. 8. 



SYNONYMS 



Aphthous Fever, Aphtha Epizootica, Eczema Epizootica, Vesi- 

 cular Epizootic, Panzootic Aphtha, Vesicular Fever, Contagious 

 Aphtha of Ruminants and Swine, Epizootic, Maul and Klauen- 

 senche, Maladic Aphthungulaire, Cocotte, etc. 



DEFINITION 



An acute infectious disease of the lower animals, especially of 

 ruminants and swine, characterized by a transient fever, and the 

 eruption of vesicles (blisters), or bullae on certain parts of the skin 

 and mucous membranes, usually those of the mouth, teats and feet. 



SUSCEPTIBLE ANIMALS 



Cloven footed animals are especially susceptible to the disease 

 which is, therefore, usually thought of as an affection of domestic 

 cattle, sheep or swine, according as one or other of these three gen- 

 era forms the chief live stock in the district invaded. But this ap- 

 parent choice of these animals is determined by exposure, and 

 where large flocks of goats are mainly kept these become the chief 

 sufferers, while, if the infection makes its way into a deer park or 

 range, the cervine inmates of that enclosure, or district, suffer 

 without exception to the exclusion of the more domesticated 

 ruminants in other enclosures. With different exposure it is the 

 reindeer, the elk, the stag, the buffalo, the caribou, the chamois, 

 the wild boar, and it might as well be the yak, the llama, the 

 giraffe, the auroch, the musk ox, the moose, or the peccary. 



While the cloven footed races prove the most receptive of the 

 poison and constitute the principal victims in ordinary outbreaks, 



