344 k5EVEXTEENTH AnNUAL HePOET Of ftt£ 



for the death of the infecting germs. But what is the limit of 

 survival of these germs ? The more we probe the matter, the more 

 the complexity appears. Under ordinary circumstances, and apart 

 from the body of the animal victim, the virus is probably very 

 short lived. The claim that it has retained its virulence when 

 kept continuously frozen for months is quite credible, but 

 we have found no such condition in the present winter. Inside 

 the buildings it has thawed most of the time, while outside the 

 temperature has very often been above freezing. Even plowing 

 has been carried on up to the end of January, and the actinic rays 

 of the bright sunshine have given excellent prospects for micro- 

 bial! destruction. Besides this, in premises known to be infected, 

 a thorough disinfection has been applied and every place and 

 utensil may be assumed to be safe. When available we have en- 

 couraged the putting in of a family milch cow, as an incidental 

 test of the sanitary condition of the building, and in not a single 

 case has any harm come to it. Hay, straw and other fibrous ma- 

 terials have, in exceptional cases, been burnt ; in others, raked off 

 the sides and top, or cut off with a hay knife, and the detached 

 portion consumed by fire ; manure has been disinfected or secluded, 

 and all reasonable precautions taken against the survival of infec- 

 tion. 



Over and above all this, any herds that are known to have passed 

 through the disease and recovered, and all places where infection 

 has been, are being kept under close surveillance, which will be 

 kept up until fresh, susceptible stock shall have been brought in 

 and tested for a sufficient length of time to make sure that no 

 infection remains. 



Up to March 6, 1009, there has been no indication of the sur- 

 vival of infection at any point. Reports have been frequent of 

 outbreaks of suspicious types of disease, but though all such cases 

 have been thoroughly investigated, not one of these has been found 

 to be aphthous fever. The aphthous fever invasion of New York 

 in 1908 may now be confidently said to have ended December 12, 

 when the last of the condemned animals were put underground. 



CASES OF INFECTION IN TIIE HUMAN BEING 



No extended outbreak of aphthous fever appears to be complete 

 without one or more cases of the disease in man. Near Akron a 



