Foot-and-Mouth Disease. 
473 
Complications very frequently occur which necessitate im- 
portant modifications in the plan of treatment, but it is doubtful 
if such cases can be properly called foot-and-mouth disease 
when the entire mass of blood becomes poisoned by retention 
and multiplication of the disease-germs which should have 
been excreted ; the ordinary phenomena of the affection are 
exchanged for those which indicate various forms of blood- 
diseases. Splenic apoplexy, pulmonary apoplexy, cerebral con- 
gestion, formation of abscess in the areolar tissues, ulceration 
and sloughing of tegumental appendages, prostration and death, 
are the result of the non-elimination of the virus, owing some- 
times to defective action of the excreting organs, but more 
commonly to the unscientific and obstructive treatment to 
which the animal is subject when the disease first appears. 
Little advantage would result to the unprofessional reader, 
if the treatment of the complication referred to were discussed, 
especially as the means at our command are generally inadequate 
to restore the normal state of the circulating fluid, when it has 
once become charged with effete products, which it necessarily 
carries all over the system, infecting the elements of every tissue, 
until molecular death is followed by entire cessation of all the 
organic functions. 
Treatment of the sick beasts must be commenced long before 
this condition has been established, or the time and trouble will 
be expended in vain. 
Measures op Prevention. 
If stock-owners determined to eradicate foot-and-mouth dis- 
ease, there is no doubt that the object would be attained ; but 
it is entirely useless to expect, or to base any sanitary legis- 
lation on the expectation that such a determination generally 
exists. A certain proportion of breeders and feeders might com- 
bine to carry out a system of prevention which promised to effect 
the eradication of the disease, but straightway a number of less 
considerate persons would take advantage of the freedom which 
the self-imposed restrictions on the other side would relatively 
afford them, to make extra profits, and thus the good intentions 
of the few would be frustrated. No measures which seriously 
interfere with trade are at all likely to be generally adopted, 
unless under very stern compulsion ; and indeed experience 
proves that compulsory legislation in reference to the movement 
of diseased and infected animals, has little chance of being 
effectually carried out unless the circumstances are such as to 
induce the persons concerned to insist upon obedience to the law. 
In the case of cattle-plague, which is the only rapidly fatal 
contagious disease of which we have any experience in this 
