IBs ANNUAL REPORT OP "THE Ott. I>oc.. 



Foot and Mouth DUease. — In November, the country was startled 

 by the knowledge that foot and mouth disease existed in some of the 

 New England Slates. While the outbreak did not cover a large ex- 

 tent of territory or involve more than three thousand cattle it was 

 still a very serious matter, because of the possibilities for harm that 

 are attached to this disease. The source of the present outbreak 

 in the New England States is unknown; it is merely known that the 

 disease has existed there in a restricted locality near Boston, for a 

 period of several months. The reason that it has not spread more 

 rapidly is, that it happens to have been in a region where all the trade 

 in cattle centres toward a single point, viz: Boston. If there were 

 much of an outward trade in cattle from the Boston markets the dis- 

 ease would have been distributed at a very much more rapid rate, 

 and in the time during which it has existed it might have reached dis- 

 tant parts of the country. It is true that there is some out-bound 

 trade in cattle through Boston, but this is chiefly in cattle for ex- 

 port. Export cattle shipped from Boston, come from Canada and 

 from the western states, they remain in Boston but a short time be- 

 fore they are loaded on the ships. During the time that they are 

 in Boston, they are kept in separate pens and entirely apart from 

 all other cattle and, therefore, are not exposed except possibly by 

 some indirect or accidental means, to any disease with which cattle 

 of the neighborhood may happen to be afltlicted. 



Foot and mouth disease is a contagious, constitutional disease of 

 cattle, sheep, other ruminants and swine that is characterized by the 

 development of vesicles or blisters upon the feet and in the mouth. 

 These blisters are usually seen upon the coronary bands, about the 

 heela and between the toes, inside the lips, upon the tongue and the 

 upper border of the jaw. The effect of the eruption of the blisters 

 is to cause the animal to refuse food, to become very stiff and lame 

 and to lessen the flow of milk. After a day or two the vesicles 

 break leaving a superficial sore which heals in from one to two weeks. 

 Sometimes a similar eruption occurs upon the udder and this may 

 cause a serious and dangerous complication by interfering with milk- 

 ing and thus setting up garget. During the course of the disease the 

 a'Jlicted animal loses weight very rapidly. Recovery occurs in near- 

 ly all cases but, after recovery, the animal is usually found to have 

 been seriously damaged and to the extent, upon an average, of |20 to 

 $2.j. The damage consists in loss of condition, permanent diminu- 

 tion in milk flow, garget, abortion or serious injury to the feet. Since 

 an attack of foot and mouth disease does not confer immunity upon 

 the animals that have passed through it, it happens in infected dis- 

 tricts that these losses may occur as often as twice in a single year. 



Foot and mouth disease is exceedingly contagious. It spreads 

 with the greatest ease from place to place and from animal to animal. 



