Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-07-24
THE CHOLERA IN SPAIN.
THE NEW SYSTEM OF INCUBATION.
United states Minister Foster Transmits u
Report to the state Department at
Washington-Dr. Ferran's Dis
covery-What is Though oft.

WASHINGTON, July 21.--Col. j. w. Foster,
United States minister to Spain, has trans
mitted to the State department II report
made to him by f. De LaGrania, a physi-
clan of Boston, on the cholera in Spain
and the pretended prophylactic anti-chol-
eric NEGOTIATIONS of Dr. Ferran." DIR. La
tfania accompanied the medical commits
sion which was recently sent to Valencia
by the Spanish government to investigate
the condition of the cholera epidemic
which is prevailing in that province aud
to report ON the efficacy of the new system
of incubation practiccd by DR.. Fcrlnn.
DR.. LaGranja describes the enthusiasm
with which Ferran was everywhere re-
ceived by the people The people clamor-
ously asked that DR.. Ferran should remain
among them aud that the incubation of
Ferran's anti-choleric broth, suspended
by an order of the secretary of the intei iOr,
should be continued forthwith.
The commissioner examined large
number of the inhabitants who had been
inoculated by DR.. Ferran All of them
were enthusiastic in the praises given to
Dr. Ferran. They had been inoculated
| in both arms, but presented no scars or
other than those made by the hyperder-
mic syringe and now almost obllterated
Some of them stated that they had "A little
headache and all severe pains in the arms,
| lasting about twentY-tOur hours after the
| incubation. One of the most remarkable
| things is that none had either vOmits or
darrhna while suffering from the effect
/ of the incubation or from attenuated
cholera, as DR.. Ferran and his friends
style it. except the small children unable
to speak
| During the last few days the number of
opponents to DR.. Ferrans incubation
has greatly increased and there would be
but few adherentS were 1t not because of the
opposition to the present government of
Spain having made political capital out of
the well-grOunded suspension of the lnoc-
ulation. one thing, however, must be said
in favor of DR.. Ferran's inOculatOns and
Minister Foster is sorry that it is the only
one he can say: that is those who have I'M
dergone the process feel 50 much conf
dence in their immunity as to have lost all
fear of the disease that causes so
much terror in the generality of the popu-
! latiOn. In pursuance of their studies the
members of the commission examined i2O
inOculated persons
/ In view Of the results produced by these
NEGOTIATIONS the commission has come to
the conclusion that they are inoffensiVe
and recommends to the government that
DIR. Ferran should be allowed to continue
with his experiments.
EThat the anti-cholerc process of Dr.
PERFECTLY true and Col. Foster says
that he has no hesitation in
asserting that even as an eX-
pertinent it is very crude and unscien-
tifc Unfortunately it has been Invested of
all merit if it ever had any, by convert
/ ing it while in its rudimentary state into
an unprofessional industry DR.. La
Granja says some persons were found who
suffered Inflammation of the arms from
the inocculation and that others We're re-
ported to have died from blood poison
ing He adds:
1.-THE NEGOTIATIONS are careessly made :;
the broth to be used for them left in tea
cup exposed to the action of the air, which
cannot fail to aid impurities to those origi-
nally contained and without the precall-
ton of burning the syringe so necessary to
avoid septic poisoning. The statistics pre-
sented by DIR. Ferran seem to give
him support, but unhappily tor him
cannot be taken for statistics by
anybody free from drejudices." AS IA con
clusion to his report made by Mr.. Foster
he declares that the inoculated persons
are afflicted with cholera in equal proper
ton with those not inocculated and says
cit is my opinion that Ferran's prophy-
lacis of the cholera will be as short lived
and will fall into as much discredlt rs the
treatment of Il cancer by the use of con
derango discovered some years ago by one
of our own physicians"