Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-10-10
SATURDAY.. OCT. 10, 1885
.oosrannO WIrn CITIES IN SPAIN

The following excerpts copied from
The Lancet of Sept 5th are SO strongly
corroborative of the position the PRESS
has taken in the matter of the condition
of our surroundings and water supply
as to be almost startling:
"The appalling statement that Sa,-
600 people have already died in the
Peninsula is already realized in this
country in its full meaning. \
In this article we will endeavor to see
what practical lessons we in England
can learn from the experiences of the
present epidemic.
Every one is agreed that the water
supply, soil, site, surroundings, drain
age, etc, exercise more or less power
full influence in propagating or inten-
sifyng the spread of the disease, and
any one acquainted even specifically
with the country will at once be struck
by the comparative immunity of some
cities aud districts and the frightful
mortality in others. We will take the
water-supply for example. There are
only three cities in Spain with water
supply worthy Of the name-viz., Ma
drid, Seville, and Barcelona.
The capital possesses the inestimable
gift of pure and bountiful supply
from the Guadauama range Of noun
tains, which is brought by the Zatella
canal distance of sixty miles. Since
cholera appeared in May last, the use
OF any other water has been strictly
prohibited by the local authorities.
Now Madrid is by far the most popu-
lous city in Spain containing about
500, 900 inhabitants. Yet, though
cholera has been present for three
months, 1t has never reached alarming
proportions, nor does it at present
show any signs of doing so; twenty
fresh cases daily being rather high
average. Again Seville, SO well known
to English travellers, has just had a
fine system of water supply constructed
at considerable expense by well
known English engineer; the popula-
ton is about 10000. So far no cho-
lera has appeared; but should it unhap-
PLY do so, we have no doubt that, like
its sister Madrid, it will enjoy com
parative immunity. &
We now come to Barcelona, the
thriving and prosperous capital Of Cata-
lona--the Manchester of Spain, as it
is called.
1t contains population of 200, 900,
is we'll situated, and has delightful
climate. Cholera appeared here last
autumn; it never spread to any extent,
and died out during the winter. 1t has
lately reappeared in slight degree.
and being situated on the high road to
France, by which route all the fugitives
from the infected provinces of Valencia
Mencia and Castellon endeavored to
escape, the wonder is that it has not
appeared sooner. Barcelona obtains
its water from different sources from
the Rio Lubrigat, on the south side OF
the city from the Rio Basos, on the
north side from the Mata'n, a spring
also on the north side; and lastly,
from wells within the city. With the
exception of the Mata'n and the wells,
the supply is uncertain and apt to run
short IN summer (it is needless to say
what well-supply means), therefore
the city cannot be said to have salts
factory system. ~
If we now turn to some of those
cities that have been most severely
smitten, such as Aranguez, Valencia
and Granada, we shall find that the
water-supply is entirely from polluted
sources. Aranguez, the chosen retreat
of the Spanish Court, is some thirty
miles from Madrid, and contains a
little over 5000 souls towards the end
Of June and beginning of July fright
ful outbreak of cholera occurred, over
200 cases happening at times within
twenty-four hours The inhabitants get
their water either from wells or from
the Tagus, on which the city is built.
1t is stated on eminent authority that
the drainage of Madrid was directly re-
sponsible for the calamities of Aran-
guez The sewage of Madrid (where
the cholera existed about this time) is
discharged into the Manzanares. The
Manzanares flows into the Hauama,
and the latter falls into the 'ragus close
TO Aranguez, this affording a more or
less indirect means of communicating
the smaller town. We now came to
the beautiful city OF Valencia, whose
name has acquired sad notoriety this
year in the peninsula, though at last it
has comet to show clean bill Of health.
Built on the Guadalayiar, or Turia
river, its water-supply is unsatisfactory.
II is from two sources-from wells