REPOET OF THE SECRETARY. 163 



mouth disease and other infectious diseases, and in spite of a continual 

 struggle at great expense and with heavy losses the diseases persist. 

 Fortunately in the United States we have kept out some of the worst 

 diseases, and when foot-and-mouth disease and pleuropneumonia 

 have gained entrance they have been stamped out by vigorous work 

 before the infection had spread to such an extent as to place us in 

 the unfortunate position of some of the European countries. 



FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. 



Since 1897 the bureau has twice been called upon to deal with 

 outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease of foreign origin, first in Massa- 

 chusetts and adjoining States in 1902-3, and then in New York, 

 Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Minnesota in 1908. Fortunately, the 

 bureau was already equipped with a capable staff and organization, 

 and each time the disease was promptly eradicated after a few 

 months of vigorous effort, with the cooperation of State authorities. 



The means used were strict quarantine, careful inspection, the 

 slaughter of all diseased and exposed animals, and the disinfection 

 of premises. Had it been necessary to lose time in getting together 

 an organized force, and had the force been less capable, the infection 

 would in all probability have extended to the great cattle-raising 

 regions of the West, where it would have caused tremendous damage 

 and where its eradication would have been much more difficult if 

 not impossible. 



The energy and promptness with which the second of these out- 

 breaks was stamped out led an intelligent old farmer who had 

 observed some of the work to express his commendation of the depart- 

 ment's efficiency. He said that ours is a great Government, as shown 

 by the fact that when a strange malady of an intensely infectious 

 nature, capable of inflicting widespread and serious loss to live-stock 

 owners, struck many herds over a wide area of territory, there ap- 

 peared at once with the energ}' and promptness of a city fire depart- 

 ment a Government force of veterinarians trained to cope with the 

 disease, whose vigorous measures suppressed it completely almost 

 before the people of the community had time to realize the gravity 

 of the situation. And he remarked again that it was indeed a wonder- 

 ful Government which was prepared to meet so unusual an emergency 

 and to meet it in such manner. 



TEXAS FEVEB. 



The department has also undertaken to rid the United States of 

 certain diseases which have long existed here and which have been a 

 heavy handicap to the stock-raising interests. All this work has 

 been begun and carried on within the past 16 years, and the prog- 



