THE NEW CATTLE DISEASE.

Within the past year, a new epidemic, called the Mouth and Foot Disease, appeared among some cattle which were owned by several farmers in the southeastern section of the state. It was feared at one time that the distemper would spread and cause very serious damage.

The disease referred to has prevailed very extensively in England and upon the continent of Europe for many years. It was first observed about the year 1839, and though it is fatal in but few instances, it is regarded as very troublesome and damaging to the interests of the stock raisers in those countries. It was introduced into the United States, a few months since, by some cattle which were shipped from England to Canada. They were appar- . ently in good health when they left England, but on reaching Canada, the most of them were found to be infected. It appears that the disease was communicated to other cattle in Canada, and that some of the latter were brought into the United States by railroad, and sold at Buffalo. Some of these diseased cattle were also brought to Albany. At that city the disease was communicated to a large number of other cattle which were brought there for sale. The disease was introduced into Massachusetts by some cattle which were taken from Albany to Brighton. It appeared also in Connecticut at about the same time. In Massachusetts whole herds were prostrated, and though but few died, the damage on account of the sickness and pining away of the animals was, in many instances, very severe.

The disease is very contagious and is sometimes communicated to cattle traveling over the road where diseased ones have passed, and sometimes by persons going from the sick to the healthy, and often, also, by dogs or poultry. S. L. Goodale, Esq., who was ap

pointed from Maine to the convention of cattle commissioners at Albany, in referring to this point, says:

"The severest case mentioned was that of a farmer in Massachusetts, who had thirty-nine cows highly fed for the production of winter milk, and ten fattening beasts. This farmer, although he lost by death only two or three, deemed his actual loss greater than if he had killed and buried every animal on his farm before being attacked; as he could, in such a case, re-stock his farm, and resume his milk business. The injury to his beasts by loss of flesh, broken udders, lameness, and the care of treating them, he considered equal to their value at the outset

- say upward of $4,000. But in the great majority of cases, this disease has been much lighter, and the total loss and damage was variously estimated at from not more than a tenth in the lightest, to a third or half in the case of herds more seriously affected.

"Plenty of evidence came out that the milk is dangerous to human and brute health. One man related of his own son, a lad of five years, that, by taking the milk of a cow not then known to be affected, but which soon afterwards showed the disease, the mouth became lined with blisters, bad cracks appeared on the hands, and he was feverish and quite ill. In Connecticut sheep had contracted the disease; and in New York dogs fed with the milk, in some cases had it, and in some escaped the disease.

"The extremely contagious character of the malady, and the ease with which it is communicated, were abundantly shown; a single illustration here will suffice. A drover bought healthy cows in New York, and drove them homeward to Massachusetts, and sold on the way. At Albany they were in the yards, and contracted the disease, but did not show any signs of it, nor was the fact known to the drover, until his arrival at home. Several hours after these beasts had passed on a certain road, the owner of a herd living there drove his own herd a short distance over the same road. They never saw the infected beasts, but in four days they were all lame and drooling at the mouth, and all the cows sold on the route also carried the disease where they were taken.”

It is understood that the disease was brought into this state by some infected oxen, which were owned in Salisbury, Mass. These oxen were employed in "logging," in the town of Seabrook. Several herds in Seabrook became infected by coming in contact with these oxen, but none died, and in a few weeks the evil dis