POOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. 417 



producing great lameness and lasting injury. Abortion 

 is frequent with pregnant animals, and typical lesions 

 have been observed in the newly born at birth. Alto- 

 gether these losses may amount to 20 or 30 per cent of 

 the value of affected animals. 



In addition there are indirect losses of a commercial 

 nature. Dairy farmers are put out of business for a 

 time. Necessary quarantine restrictions greatly inter- 

 fere with the movement of live stock and such commod- 

 ities as hay, straw, hides, and farm produce. The busi- 

 ness of the stockyards and slaughtering centers is 

 greatly interfered with. Sometimes it is necessary to 

 close stockyards for disinfection. The whole business 

 of marketing, transporting, feeding, and slaughtering 

 is interrupted and deranged. Losses of this character 

 may reach enormous proportions. 



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

 the exposure of the animal to the infection the disease 

 makes its appearance. 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 membranes 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 eruptions have appeared in the mouth of the 



