The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-08-15 00:00:00

44*

THE CHOLERA. EPIDEMIC IN SPAIIS

AND FRANCE.

Telegraphing from Marseilles on Sunday night, the
correspondent of the Reandurd said: Two deaths
from cholera occurred yesterday at Toulon. One
ease was that of a foreman stoker on board the
Anamite ; the other was that of one of the musicians
belonging to the band of one of the war ships. At
Marseilles to-day there were 47 deaths, of which 17
were from cholera. An indication that the authorities
take a serious view of the situation is furnished by
the fact that General de Colomb, the Commander of
the 15th Corps d'Artnee at Marseilles, has received a
notification from the Minister of War that his Corps
d'Armee will not be required to take part in the great
manceuvres fixed for the beginning of September.
All are agreed that the outbreak is rather due to the
apathy of the local authorities than to contamination
from Spain. Since the last outbreak nothing what-
ever has been done sa cleanse the streets, many of
which are hotbeds sk infection. There is still an
evident desire to attenuate the danger, and the press
can obtain but little information. A telegram read
yesterday at the Aix Assizes from the Mayor of Mar-
seilles sufficiently shows, however, what is the actual
opinion. In this the Mayor excused himself from
responding to a subpalia to give evidence in a case
on the ground that, owing to the grave sanitary con-
dition of Marseilles, he could not leave home. Yes-
terday 88 deaths were registered, of which 30 were
from cholera. Sanitary measures are already being
taken at Avignon, Ayles, Aix, and indeed all round
Marseilles. Rigorous quarantine is instituted not
only abroad, but in Corsica and Algeria.
The same journal's Madrid correspondent also,tele-
graphing on Sunday night, said: During the firstweek
in August, ending yesterday at midnight, 29,612 cases
and 10,832 deaths occurred in 22 provinces of Spain,
where the existence of cholera is admitted by the
official bulletins. During the same period 3500 cases
and about 1650 deaths occurred in 17 other provinces.
Indeed, only ten provinces remain which are not yet
infected. Cholera is raging in 610 different places,
and in 60 large towns. During the first week in
Aueust, 262 cases and 159 deaths occurred in Madrid;
but is not decreasing in the capital. The principal
features of the epidemic last week were its increase
and spread in the north and east, and its decline in
the south, except at Granada. Some cases are even
, said to have occurred among the fugitives near the
' Pyrenees and in the French Frontier Departments.
It i strange that the Spanish authorities continue
to conceal, for several days, any fresh outbreak of
cholera in the large towns, exactly as they concealed
the existence of cholera in Saragossa until 200 cases
and 110 deaths occurred daily, and until hundreds of
families had left other provinces and gone to France.
So now for 10 days the occurrence of a number of
cases and deaths in Barcelona has been carefully con-
cealed. The burials of victims of cholera in that town
have taken place at night. It is reported that the
authorities were reluctant to confess the existence of
cholera in Barcelona, because it would seriously dis•
turb the trade and manufacturing interests of the
city and the surrounding districts, inhabited
by a turbulent population of operatives and
tradesmen famous for their Republican inclinations.
At last in official circles the spread of the cholera in
the four Catalan Provinces—Lerida, Gerona, Tarra-
gona, and Barcelona—is admitted. Sanitary and
hygienic measures are being taken with decision in
Barcelona, one of the first steps being to inepose three
days observation upon all vessels coming from the
French Mediterranean ports; and ail vessels arriving
from, or having called at the port of Marseilles since
August 1 are sent to the lazzeretto of Mahon, in the
Balearic Isles, for ten days. The medical inspection
of travellers arriving by rail from France will take
Place at Portbou, on the frontier of Catalonia.

(Renter's Telegrams.)
MADRID, Aug. 9, 10 p.m.
During the last twelve hours 3 cases and 2 deaths
have occurred in Valencia (capital), 25 cases and 14
deaths in Madrid (capital), and 47 cases and 7 deaths
in Madrid (province).
Bonfires are now lighted in some of the streets
.in
the populous quarters of Madrid as a means of disin-
fection. To-day's papers express warm approval of
the conduct of the local authorities, of the doctors,
and of all classes of the inhabitants of Saragossa,
where, notwithstanding the large number of cases
occurring daily, the population remains quiet, and
the sick are well attended to, forming a contrast to
other places where panic prevails.
According to intelligence from Carthagena the
epidemic appears to be diminishing in the town and
in the convict establishment, but many cases have
occurred in the neighbouring villages. In
somein-
stances the fugitives from the disease have taken
refuge in caves and in the mines. Telegrams from
Granada state that the epidemic is increasing there.
Over 300 cases occur daily, and great distress pre-
vails.
MADRID, August 10, 8.45 a.m.
The official cholera bulletin issued this morning
reports that 4151 cases and 15C4 deaths occurred in
Spain yesterday.
Telegrams from Granada describe the condition of
the city as desperate, the daily number of cases in
proportion to the number of inhabitants exceeding
the rdaily returns at Naples last year. There is a
dearth of medical assistance, and the Spanish Govern-
ment has sent doctors from Madrid. Many bodies
are lying unburied in various parts of the city.
MARSEILLES, August 10, 8 p.m.
During the last 24 hours 77 deaths have occurred
here, of which 35 were from cholera. The old Im-
perial residence has been opened since this morning
as a special hospital for cholera patients, under the
name of the Pharo Hospital, and has received up to
the present hour 12 sick.
GIBRALTAR, August 10.
One fatal case of illness, presenting choleraic symp-
toms, has occurred in the Civil Hospital here. The
Spanish authorities, in consequence, to-day suddenly
established a land cordon. The short notice given
for this step has caused great trouble and annoyance,
as a great number of Gibraltar families live in the
neighbouring villages on Spanish soil.

MADRID, August 10, Evening.
Fourteen cases of cholera and 17 deaths occurred in
this city to-day, being a decrease of 11 in the number
of cases as compared with the preceding return. In
the province of Madrid there were 58 cases and 21
deaths. In Valencia (capital), seven cases and two
deaths have been registered during the last 12 hours.
At La Granja a soldier has been attacked by the
disease, but he is now recovering. Suspicious cases
are announced from Bilbao and San Sebastian.
Reports from the provinces published in the Madrid
bpa elpi
oefr s e
xs as
ttse
at hmaot nag t severaltne
ignorant
oplr
a anete sotl
ahase
e s
that superstitious
the
doctors poison the cholera patients, and in some
instances the latter have declined medical advice, and
their relations have assaulted the doctors. At Valla-
dolid the local authorities have issued a circular,
enforcing respect for the doctors. In some towns
the lower classes believe that the water supply is
poisoned, but the educated severely candemn these
manifestations of popular ignorance.

_ _
August 11.
The death from cholera of the Archbishop of
Seville, at a village near Granada, is announced this
morning.
An incomplete official return issued this morning
reports 3510 cholera cases and 1342 deaths yester-
day. The returns from the provinces of Saragossa,
Jaen, Soria, and Segovia have not yet been received.
Some cases are reported from Bilbao, San Sebas-
tian, Tolora., Santander, Huesca, and Barcelona.
8 p.m.
Seventeen cases of cholera and nine deaths have
occurred here to-day up to the present hour.
MARSEILLES, Aug. 11.
The Chamber of Commerce of this city has ad-
dressed to the Minister of Commerce a protest
against the quarantine established by foreign coun-
tries on arrivals from Marseilles, the severity of
which it declares to be unwarrantable, especially on
the part of Spain and Gibraltar. The Chamber ex-
presses the hope that the Minister of Commerce, in
conjunction with a e Minister of Foreign Affairs,
will make energetic representations to the Cabinets of
Madrid and London, in order to induce them to dis-
continue these rigorous measures.
8 p.m.
During the last 24 hours 84 deaths have occurred
in this city, of which 39 were from cholera.
Fourteen fresh patients have been admitted into the
Pharo hospital.
Runs, Aug. 11.
The National states that some cholera cases have
occurred at Manosque, in the Basses Alpes. The
existence of cholera in the Basses Pyrenees, reported
by the Spanish newspapers, is absolutely denied by
the French Press.
A telegram from Algiers states that three days'
qnnrnntine has been established there on arrivals from
Gibraltar.