The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-07
THE EPIDEMIC IN SPAIN.
The Cholera COntin ues to Claim More Than
Six Hundred Victims Each Day

Six Hundred Victims Each Day.
MADRID, July Gin the whole of Spain yes
terday there were ,467 new cases of cholera,
and 660 deaths from the disease. OF these, there
were 219 new cases and Sc deaths in Araniuez;
264 new and IA deaths in the city of Valen-
cia, and $50 new cases and All deaths in the
province of Valencia.
There is a marked decrease of the cholera
epidemic in Aran juez and Valencia.
ABOUT INocULATIoN.
The interest Of the recent epidemic lies less in
the symptoms, curious though some of them are,
than in the all-important and absorbing ques-
TONS "Can he be protected against cholera; and,
if SO, how!' After having visited few hospitals
and private dwellings infected with the plague,
the correspondent devoted most of his attention
to DR.. Ferran and the incubation question.
Following the example of the medical authorities
sent here, he has endeavored to ascertain
whether DR.. Ferrans vaccination system is safe,
and whether it is efficacious. DR.. Ferran's name
is just now battlecry. His partisans and foes
are equally numerous To search for the truth
difficult as to icok for needle in
bale of hay Time and patience alone can
fully decide the points at issue Careful in
Quiry, however, has convinced the correspondent
recommended or not, most of the Investigators
who so far have visited DR. Ferran have been
carried away by generous and perhaps natural
enthusiasm, and that the inquiries have lost
much of their value owing to their not being i'm
partial. DR.. Ferran claims that by vaccnating
with graduated virus he protects people against
the cholera for certain time, provided FIVE clear
days are allowed for the vaccine to work AS
evidence of his success. he gives you the results
obtained in $4,000 or 10000 cases in different
D1a hrt ic bo
success of his experiments at Alcira,
where out of population variously estimated
at l6 600. 90 000 %, ,000 9,100 persons have sub
mitted to inoculation, and 1900 to reinoculation
The results show that the proportion of cases
among inoculated people is as fifty nine to 26l,
while the deaths in the same categories compare
as ten to l20. In other words. noninoculated
people who fell i'll from cholera are four and q
half times as numerous as those who were in
oculated, and the deaths of non-inocuated peo-
pie were twelve times as numerous as those who
were lnoculated. by extending the comparison
TO all districts in which DR.. Ferrans system was
tried it might be found that vaccination had ap
parently saved patients from death in nineteen
cases out of twenty.
But for the moment the test is Alcira. Viewed
as ~ test, the correspondent unhesitatngy de-
cares that the vaccination statistics so far as
published, including those of Alcira are in
sufficient. They have been prepared by Dr.
Ferrans partisans. No counter statistics have
been opposed to them Again as have already
cabled, Acira is an exceptionally well to do
town. The deaths have chiefly occurred among
the poor, and it is by no means certain that
those who were innoculated would in any case
have had cholera. Moreover, the epidemic
in Aleira not severe. Three hun
ably 1000 perished altogether between
May and June 26 This will seem very trifing
to those who remember the st. Louis epidemic,
especially if it is borne in mind that in Spain