130 THE MILK QUESTION 



bles in animals is now almost as rare as milk sickness in 

 man. As the forests are cleared and pastures fenced, the 

 disease becomes less frequent. It is still met with in the 

 valley of the Pecos River, New Mexico, in Tennessee, 

 North CaroKna, and other thinly settled sections. Jordan 

 and Harris have found a bacillus associated with the dis- 

 ease which they have called the Bacillus lactis morbi. 



Milk sickness is an acute, non-febrile disease due to the 

 ingestion of milk or the flesh of animals suffering from a 

 disease known as "trembles." The affection is character- 

 ized by great depression, persistent vomiting, obstinate 

 constipation, and a high mortality. The virus may also be 

 taken into the system through butter, fresh cheese, and 

 other milk products. Heat apparently has very little effect 

 upon it, and there is no known cure or prevention except 

 the elimination of the disease in cattle, which fortunately 

 is rapidly taking place. 



Foot-and-^mouth disease 



Foot-and-mouth disease is primarily a disease of cattle 

 and secondarily of man. It is an exceedingly interesting 

 affection from many standpoints. It was the first virus 

 proven to be ultramicroscopic in size. The micro-organism 

 is so small that it cannot be seen with the highest powers of 

 the microscope and will pass through pores of the finest 

 porcelain filter. This was proven by the experiments of 

 Loffler and Frosch in 1898. 



The foot-and-mouth disease, also known as "aphtha 

 fever," "epizootic aphtha," and "eczema contagiosa," is 

 one of the most highly infectious diseases of cattle and other 

 domestic animals. The characteristic feature of the disease 

 is an eruption of vesicles which break out on the mucous 

 membrane of the mouth, and also on the skin between the 

 toes and above the hoofs. The vesicles rupture, forming 

 erosions and ulcerations. When this happens in the mouth 

 there is salivation, tenderness of the affected parts, loss of 



