480 
Foot-and-Moutli Disease. 
animal plagues, if stock-owners choose to avail themselves of its 
aid ; but it is futile to anticipate any advantage from the adop- 
tion of a system of empirical treatment directed by uneducated 
men, whose chief idea is to cure the sick beast by antiquated 
nostrums ; while the subtle infection is allowed to extend its area 
of operations unchecked. Sanitary regulations, many of them 
restrictive in their nature, are required in all cases of outbreaks 
of foot-and-mouth disease ; but they must, to be effectual, be 
applied by the owner, or with his full concurrence. 
Immediately on the discovery of the disease in a herd, it 
becomes necessary to decide whether the attempt is to be made 
to limit the affection to the animals among which it first appears, 
or the disease is to be allowed to run its course. If the circum- 
stances are such as to render the chances of escape of the stock 
on the farm very slight, direct communication of the contagion 
by simply introducing a little of the saliva of the sick animals 
into the mouths of the healthy ones on a tuft of hay is the most 
effectual way of getting quickly over the trouble, while the disease, 
thus induced, is almost certain to be mild in its character. This 
method of conveying the affection to all the animals which, in 
the natural course of things, are likely to be attacked, is far 
preferable to permitting the association of diseased with healthy 
animals, which will indeed be ultimately attended with the same 
result, attained, however, in an irregular manner, and at the 
expense of considerable time and anxiety. 
On the other hand, if the affection be detected among newly 
purchased stock, or if it occur among fattening beasts or dairy 
cows, it is of the first importance to prevent its spread, by isola- 
tion of the sick animals, and the use of disinfectants ; but even 
in these instances, if the affection shows an unmistakable ten- 
dency to extend, inoculation with the saliva is to be recom- 
mended. Whatever course the stock-owner may determine 
to adopt in reference to the management of his own herd, 
the commonest consideration for the welfare of the stock in the 
neighbourhood will prompt him to give immediate notice of the 
outbreak on his farm to his neighbours, in order that they may 
protect their animals from infection as far as possible, and next, 
he will deem it a matter of duty, as well as to his own interest, 
to limit the disease to his own stock by strict attention to sani- 
tary regulations. The premises, on which the disease exists, 
should be treated as an infected place by the occupier and his 
servants. Sick animals should be completely isolated, whether 
the disease has arisen naturally, or has been communicated inten- 
tionally in the manner suggested. All the secretions from such 
cattle should be disinfected or destroyed ; milk from cows 
affected with the disease should be well boiled before it is given 
