104 



Foot and Mouth Disease 



fecting live stock. It causes fat cattle to lose flesh, stock cattle refuse to 

 gain, cows udders blister, cake and they become worthless and pigs become 

 lame. Any effected animals may recover and have three or four sub- 

 sequent attacks within a period of several months. 



In Germany and France where the malady was not strictly quaran- 

 tined in the beginning and has become wide spread they do not seem to be 

 able to get rid of it during a period of 30 years. These facts should make 

 every American farmer want to support the government and state in 

 quarantine measures so that he may avoid an aquaintance with this 

 disease. 



CAUSES 



This is beyond a doubt a bacterial disease. The agent causing the 



(Sores on the teats due to foot and mouth disease.) 



infection undoubtedly is in the blisters formed in the mouth. A common 

 drinking trough or feeding trough can easily become infected by the ex- 

 cessive flow of saliva and thus infect a whole herd. It is one of the 

 easiest diseases known to spread. It can be carried even easier than hog 

 cholera on the wagon wheels, shoes, clothing and in fact any article that 

 goes from diseased to healthy quarters. The manure, urine, milk and 

 saliva all carry the infection. 



SYMPTOMS 



Ergotism or poisoning due to a fungi :5?hich grows on forage plants 



