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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.
Albuquerque, N. M.
September 8, 1947
The President
The White House
Dear Mr. President:
The folks in the Department have sent on to me your letter of
August 25 about your brother's neighbors who believe they have a
cure for foot-and-mouth disease. I appreciate, as you do, the
offer of these good people to help in fighting the disease that
has gained such a foothold in Mexico.
I am going to have our people in the Bureau of Animal Industry
get in touch with Mr. Burgdoerfer to ascertain whether he has
information not available to them. If he is willing to inform
the Bureau of the formula and manner of use of his preparation,
it will be given thorough consideration.
Our scientists in the Bureau of Animal Industry have given me
their comments concerning the possibility that the preparation
suggested by Mr. Burgdoerfer may have some usefulness in the
campaign in Mexico. They tell me that they have received many
communications from public spirited people offering a variety
of preparations to combat the disease. Drawing upon the know-
ledge gained from many years of extensive experimentation and
field operations in European and South American countries where
the disease is endemic, as well as from the several outbreaks
in the United States, our people say that no substance is known
which can "cure" the disease, Our entire effort in the Mexican
campaign is to eradicate the disease and not merely to temporize
with it by treating the individually affected animals.
As you know, the nature of foot-and-mouth disease is such that
most of the animals recover without any treatment, although with
considerable loss from the standpoint of meat or milk production
and breeding value. It is therefore rather easy to arrive too
quickly at a conclusion that a particular treatment has been
effective. It would be disastrous to an eradication campaign to
embark upon a program of treatment of the animals without thorough
knowledge of the efficiency of the treatment. From our experience
FOR VICTORY
BUY
UNITED
STATES
WAR
BONDS
AND
STAMPS
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"ocrText": "DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE\nWASHINGTON 25, D. C.\nAlbuquerque, N. M.\nSeptember 8, 1947\nThe President\nThe White House\nDear Mr. President:\nThe folks in the Department have sent on to me your letter of\nAugust 25 about your brother's neighbors who believe they have a\ncure for foot-and-mouth disease. I appreciate, as you do, the\noffer of these good people to help in fighting the disease that\nhas gained such a foothold in Mexico.\nI am going to have our people in the Bureau of Animal Industry\nget in touch with Mr. Burgdoerfer to ascertain whether he has\ninformation not available to them. If he is willing to inform\nthe Bureau of the formula and manner of use of his preparation,\nit will be given thorough consideration.\nOur scientists in the Bureau of Animal Industry have given me\ntheir comments concerning the possibility that the preparation\nsuggested by Mr. Burgdoerfer may have some usefulness in the\ncampaign in Mexico. They tell me that they have received many\ncommunications from public spirited people offering a variety\nof preparations to combat the disease. Drawing upon the know-\nledge gained from many years of extensive experimentation and\nfield operations in European and South American countries where\nthe disease is endemic, as well as from the several outbreaks\nin the United States, our people say that no substance is known\nwhich can \"cure\" the disease, Our entire effort in the Mexican\ncampaign is to eradicate the disease and not merely to temporize\nwith it by treating the individually affected animals.\nAs you know, the nature of foot-and-mouth disease is such that\nmost of the animals recover without any treatment, although with\nconsiderable loss from the standpoint of meat or milk production\nand breeding value. It is therefore rather easy to arrive too\nquickly at a conclusion that a particular treatment has been\neffective. It would be disastrous to an eradication campaign to\nembark upon a program of treatment of the animals without thorough\nknowledge of the efficiency of the treatment. From our experience\nFOR VICTORY\nBUY\nUNITED\nSTATES\nWAR\nBONDS\nAND\nSTAMPS"
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