FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXI, Issue 9849, 30 October 1924, Page 3

FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE

PRECAUTIONS NECESSARY

drastic measures in cali-

FO'RNIA

WELLINGTON, Oct. 28

The action taken by the N.Z. Government in regard to preventing the introduction, of foot and month disease scorns to bo fully warranted, urifling from what has taken • platw in California. American papers to hand give some idea of the inconvenience and loss there would be if the disease .ever got a footing here.

The Scientific American says one of the most interesting angles of tinfight waged in California >by ‘he County’, State and Federal authorities against the foot and mouth epizootic has been the mechanical. Not only were the Department of Agriculture officials, horticultural commissioners and veterinary surgeons pressed into service, but contractors, carpenters, chemists and engineers were employed in an effort to stamp out the disease in infected areas and prevent its spread into uninfected territory. For example, huge trenches had to ho dug to bury thousands of animals which were slain by the authorities after they had contracted the malady. Dipping vats had to he built through 'which all automobiles leaving quarantine territory wore forced to run and disinfectant capes of rubberised material bad to be used for rnrnans leaving the counties in the affected territory' and in the preparation of all disinfecting fluids and gases chemists were utilised to aid the veterinary. The dipping vats for automobiles were built to accommodate any vehicle from a flivver to a fiveton truck. Into these vats a solution nf bichloride of mercury of a ratio of about 1 to 1003 was poured. This solution thoroughly disinfected tyres, wheels and the underside of fenders, which are the most likely to pick up the highly contagious disease. In t!.-j case of the burying trenches J i slaughtered stock steam shovels were employed to dig trenches 9 feet deep and 23ft wide anil, in some cases, 500 ft. long. Into these trenches the infected . cattle or other stock were driven, shot down, covered with quicklime and buried, thus effectively preventing any' further spread of the disease by the infected herds. In .the case of humans who passed through close quarantine of provisional quarantine areas, rubberized capes reaching from throat to ankles were used, and, under them formaldehyde gas was generated for five minutes. in some counties passengers of automobiles and stages wore forced to w.e.Je • through the disinfecting vats for j cars. Some counties used creosote solutions of from three to five per tent. , In these dipping vats a ntal of: 48,596 infected animals from 31S i herds had been slaughtered and nulled in California up to April 17. Of these 25,417 were cattle, 10,294 hogs, .12,63-3 sheep and bit) goat.». ") he e<ai~ mated appraised value of this shock was 2,634,437 dollars, of which tie Federal Government pays half and the State half 7 One of the prize herds to be slaughtered included six world champion cqws and was valued roughly at 500,060 dollars.--Special.