CHAPTER XV. 



FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE. 



Of all the animal plagues that have visited 

 America, that of foot and mouth disease which we 

 have experienced within late years has made 

 more history than all of the others combined. 

 Its sudden appearance, the rapidity with which it 

 spread and the proportions which it reached have 

 caused much wonder and comment among the ag- 

 riculturalists of the United States. There has 

 been an abundance of speculation concerning this 

 condition and a great part of it has come from 

 people who are not experienced in diseases of 

 this kind and therefore should not carry a great 

 deal of weight. It is true that we have had sev- 

 eral outbreaks in this country — three or four at 

 least — during the last few years ; but none of 

 them reached any size before they were discov- 

 ered and proper measures taken for their dispo- 

 sition. 



A great deal has been said about the careless- 

 ness in handling the recent outbreak, but it may 

 be possible that, if everything was known, those 

 who were taking care of this condition were do- 

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