PRIZE ESSAY. 
401 
III. -ECZEMA CONTAGIOSA (WILLIAMS) ; ECZEMA EPIZOOTICA (WAL- 
LEY)-FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE. 
Of the diseases hitherto spoken of, this is the only one which 
has been seen in Canada. “ Last year (1875) we had an out¬ 
break of foot and month disease in Ontario. It came through 
the medium of some sheep imported from England in the month 
of August. They were shipped from England (Liverpool, I be¬ 
lieve,) apparently healthy, duly inspected and furnished with a 
clean bill of health (one of the fallacies of inspection.) When at 
sea several day’s some of them were noticed to be lame and sore, 
and the attendant thought they were cases of “ foot rot,” or, per¬ 
haps, simple bruises. These sheep were brought to the Province 
and located on two farms, sixty miles apart. The cattle on these 
and neighboring farms soon became affected with eczema epizoo- 
tica, and there was considerable excitement in the districts so in¬ 
fected. On the part of the Ontario Government, I was requested 
to investigate the circumstances connected with the appearance 
of the disease, and also to adopt measures to prevent its spread. 
In all about 200 head of cattle were affected, and I had no diffi¬ 
culty whatever in tracing the origin of the disease to the sheep 
already referred to. * * Of course I recommended 
isolation and no intercourse with the farms where diseased ani¬ 
mals were, and in a few weeks its progress was arrested. The 
cold weather came on, and I assure you our Canadian winter 
proves the best of disinfectants.” * 
Definition .—A highly contagious and infectious febrile disease, 
associated with a vesicular eruption in the mouth, between the 
pedal digits and around the coronets. 
* * In milch cows ,it sometimes happens that a vesicular 
eruption occurs on the mammary gland, and within the lactifer¬ 
ous ducts. When such occurs, the milk contaminated by the 
vesicular discharge is rendered unfit for use either as food for the 
human beings or the lower animals.f 
* Prof. Smith in Veterinary Journal, 
t Williams. 
