FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. 421 



inoculation the calves present the characteristic blisters. 

 Such inoculation should be practiced, however, only by- 

 officials who are properly authorized to deal with con- 

 tagious diseases. 



How to Distinguish Foot-and-Mouth Disease from 

 Other Affections. — The lesions of no other disease of 

 cattle closely simulate the vesicular eruption of foot- 

 and-mouth disease on the lining membrane of the mouth. 

 When the blisters have ruptured, however, and the 

 resulting lesions have become contaminated by numer- 

 ous secondary forms of micro-organisms, the correct 

 recognition of the disease may be involved in consider- 

 able difficulty. 



Cowpox or horsepox may be accidentally transmitted 

 by iuoculation. But the eruption of the "pox" goes on 

 to the development of a pustule, while in foot-and-mouth 

 disease the eruption is never more than a vesicle, even 

 though the contained fluid may become turbid. The 

 inoculation test in the ease of cowpox does not respond 

 with fever and eruption for at least 10 days, and often 

 longer. 



Necrotic stomatitis (sore mouth due to a germ) may 

 be distinguished from foot-and-mouth disease by the 

 fact that in the latter disease there is a rapid infection 

 of the entire herd, including the adult cattle, as well as 

 the infection of hogs and sheep. The characteristic 

 lesion of foot-and-mouth disease is the appearance of 

 blisters containing a serous fluid upon the mucous mem- 

 brane of the mouth and upon the udder, teats, and feet 

 of the affected animals. In necrotic stomatitis blisters 

 are never formed, destruction of the tissues oceurriag 

 from the beginning and being followed by the formation 

 of yellowish, cheesy patches principally found involving 



