Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 254, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1914 — FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE IN INDIANA [ARTICLE]

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE IN INDIANA

Delos Thompson Tells of Measures Taken in Lapofte County to Stamp Out Epidemic. Delos Thompson returned home Monday evening from Laporte, where he had been to see W. ,F. Smith, the manager of the road contracts for the Smith and Thompson (Mr. Thompson brought information first hand of the terrible condition in Laporte and St. Joe counties, Indiana, and Berrian county, Mich., t as a result of the foot and iqouth disease which is ravaging -the stock. Cows, hogs, poultry and pigeons are afflicted and death always results, the animal lingering from ten to thirty days. . , - In an effort to stamp out the disease the most rigid quarantine has been established. No stock can be sold alive or butchered and none moved off the farms. Thousands of dollars worth of stock has been killed and buried in quick lime. Schools have been suspended in many of the townships and persons are not allowed to leave their farm homes, so readily is the disease carried. It\is reported that; in one day $35,000 worth of. stock was killed.

The disease makes its appearance in the shape of a little pimple between the toes of the animal. Similar small sores appear in the mouth. The sores spread rapidly, becoming running sores and the feet are entirely rotted off if the animal is not killed, Horses and animals with solid' hoofs are not affected. A veterinary from the United States department of agriculture is at South Berni making a study ,of the disease, but there seems to be no known remedy. To assist in making the quarantine effective fifty soldiers of the U. S. army are patrolling the roads. Messrs. Thompson and Smith wanted to visit another town near La porte by auto but foujid that they were not alloiwed to drive pver the roads. It is thought that a farm hand from Canada brought the disease to Berrien county,, Mich., from whence it has spread. It is the second time it has ever appeared in the United States. Great inconvenience is resulting, as no grain can be shipped and farmers are suffering many disadvantages.