FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. 387 



were declared, shipments were traced, rumors investigated, and 

 thorough inspections made in an effort to discover all infected stock. 

 As measures of eradication, diseased herds were slaughtered and 

 buried and the premises disinfected. The owners of live stock and 

 other property destroyed on account of the disease were reimbursed 

 to the extent of the appraised value, half of which is paid by the 

 Federal Government and half by the State. There were slaughtered 

 172,593 animals (76,575 cattle, 86,i02 swine, 9,511 sheep, 133 goats, 

 and 9 deer), in 3,182 herds. The total appraised value of these 

 animals was more than $5,800,000. The expense to the Federal Gov- 

 ernment of eradicating this outbreak was about $4,540,000. 



Symptoms. — In three to six days, or even longer, after the exposure 

 of the animal to the infection the disease makes its api^earance. It is 

 usually first indicated by the animal suffering from a chill, quickly 

 followed by an invasion of fever, which may cause the temperature to 

 rise as high as 106° F. These symptoms are not always present, or 

 may be in so slight a form as to escape notice. Following this in one 

 or two days it will be noticed that small vesicles or blisters about the 

 size of hemp seeds or a pea are making their appearance upon the 

 mucous membrances of the mouth at the border and upper surface 

 of the tongue near the tip, the inside of the cheeks, on the gums and 

 the inner surface of the lips, or on the margin of the dental pad. 

 These little blisters contain a yellowish, watery fluid and gradually 

 become more extensive as the disease advances. Soon after the erup- 

 tions have appeared in the mouth of the animal considerable swelling, 

 redness, and tenderness will be noticed about the feet, at the coronet, 

 and between the digits of each foot. A day or two later eruptions 

 similar to those within the mouth make their appearance upon these 

 swollen regions of the foot, and at this stage it is usual to find that 

 like lesions have made their appearance upon the perineum of the 

 victim. In the case of milch cows the udder, and more particularly 

 the teats, show the same vesicular eruption, but the latter as the 

 result of milking soon become covered with reddened spots deprived 

 of the superficial laj^er of skin and may develop deep, obstinate 

 fissures. 



As soon as the disease has become well established the patient 

 evinces pain when attempting to eat; in fact, the appetite is often 

 so seriously affected that all feed is refused, and the animal uneasily 

 opens and shuts its mouth with a characteristic smacking sound, 

 while strings of cohesive, ropy saliva hang suspended from the 

 lips. With the advance of the disease the vesicles widen and extend 

 until they may reach a diameter ranging from that of a dime to that 

 of a silver dollar. These rupture soon after their appearance, some- 

 times on the first day, more rarely on the second or third day. After 

 they have ruptured, the grayish-white membrane forming the blister 



