Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-06-24
THE SPANISH KING.

The action of King Alfonso in visiting
the cholera districts of his kingdom is
the action of genuine man, and whether
done for effect abroad or for effect at
home, or from motives of humanity and
mercy, still the action itself is a noble
one. His action has brought dissension
into his Cabinet, but he persists in his
course. Spanish towns as rule are fine
places for the breeding of epidemics, and
the more terrible the scourge, the more do
the people neglect sanitary measures and
rely upon the efficacy OF religious process
sions and invocations to patron saints.
The professions may be fine and the in
vocations solemn and impressive, but
they are the very worst things that could
happen, as the masses then congregate
together and epidemics have a better
chance to spread than any other way. If
his Spanish Majesty can induce his SUBJ
jects to give up their professions for a
time he will confer a great blessing upon
them. 1t should also lie his endeavor to
dissuade the people from indulging in
their favorite pastime of bull fight
ing at present. 1t is the national sport
of the Spaniards, and vast crowds
numbering many thousands assemble to
see them. The fiesta is usually held in
the afternoon, and all classes and all
sexes go to see them. A Spaniard may
forego attendance at mass or visit to the
confessional, but he never foregoes bull
fight. A correspondent of the New York
Herald says that he entered Valencia
without any cordons or quarantines hav-
ing to be passed; that the city was full
of life and hustle, and bull-fght, which
was advertised for the following day,
was much more in the minds of the
people than the cholera, Notwithstanding
the fact that cholera was almost at their
doors. This correspondent states that
much of this feeling of security among
the citizens of Valencia is owing to the
effect of DR.. Ferran's system of inocula-
ton for the cholera the same as Jenner's
vaccination for small pox, and that what
ever its actual medical value may be, its
moral value is very great. In times of
epidemics self-confdence and the absence
of fear are great aids to staying the spread
of disease. DIR. Ferran was led to the
adoption of incubation for the prevention
of cholera by the results of Pasteur's
experiments with inoculating sheep.
Its success has been such as to
justify the sending of some OF
the most famous doctors of Europe to
Spain to study the new system. If it
prove successful, humanity will have
conquered another foe, and DIR. Ferran's
name will go down to history as one of
mans great benefactors.
The resolve of the Spanish King to
visit his plague-stricken subjects in their
suffering is noble one, and entities him
to the admiration of ALL In this respect
he is emulating the example of King
Humbert, of Italy, last year, when he went
to Naples and with his own hands dis
tributed aims and money to the needy
and afflicted Although the most popular
sovereign in Europe, that visit to Naples
doubly endeared him to his subjects, and
the Neapolitans forgot their banished
king and looked upon the Savoyard as
their true ruler. 1t may be that Alfonso's
action will have the same effect upon his
subjects, and even the Carlists will say it
was a worthy action.