The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-07-10

An appalling Number of Deaths IN Spain
Cities Devastated by an Epidemic That Is
Spreading With Wonderful Rapidly.

CttteS DerdSuteu W dh 6Ptuo"eeo H'ts -
Spreading With Wonderful Rapidity.
London Dispatch At this time last year
cholera had only taken q few scores OF
lives in Toulon and its suburbs, and
had just made its appearance in Mar
settles. There have now been a, 200 deaths
reported from eight provinces OF Spain,
which is more than hall the entire number
OF deaths in all OF France last year. From
the start the rate OF mortality in Spain
is far greater than it was in France, and
latterly it has become greater than it was
last year even in Naples. The average
ratio Of deaths to cases now is about four
in nine throughout Spain. Roughly speak
ing the death ratio was two in seven In
France last year and it was three in seven
in Italy within the last week. Notably has
this been the case in Murcia. More than
half the people attacked have died and IN
the new provinces where the pest has APP
peared within the last few days the escapes
have been the exception. All the features
OF last years siege either essential or eccen-
tric-and who shall say in this strange DIS
ease which is which-are being repeated.
The fearful experience at the AK mad
house finds its parallel in the asylum out
side of Madrid, where the lunatics are ay-
ing like sheep. In Murrain the peculiar
susceptibility OF young soldiers to cholera,
which was noted in Toulon and in Campo
basso last year, has been exemplified again
at Toledo barracks. The deaths among
sisters of charity now as then are almost
wholly confined to the peasant women IN
the less exclusive orders like the Augustin-
ians The plague finds ninety-nine IN a
hundred OF its victims in the slums OF
poor villages where hygiene is an unknown
word.
A wine merchant who has just arrived IN
London from Murcia tells me that 1T is alb
solutely impossible to describe the national
panic, loss of nerve and reason, and frenzy
of local guarantees. Not only has this
feeling OF panic paralyzed the business OF
Spain, but it threatens to work more evil
by deranging the food supply than even
cholera has worked or may yet work. IL
is interesting here to note, i'll considering
the theory that the spread OF the disease
is connected closely with water, that Muir
cia and Valencia are the most plentifully
irrigated districts in the south OF Europe.
The system of supply dates from the time
OF Moorish occupation OF Spain, and Tor
scientific utilization the water supply there
is still unrivalled in the whole world. Inc
city OF Murcia is not so desperate an asy-
lum as it formerly was, since the grea1
flood destroyed the lower part OF the town.
1t was rebuilt with more regard to SANTA
ton, but the people are distinctly OF tne
lowest type, mentally and physically, in
Spain. But here, as at Valencia, the city
is surrounded by a perfect network OF
crowded hamlets, constituting one vast
tropical garden, irrigated by system
which permits not one drop OF water to
reach the sea. The system is most marvel
GUS from an engineering point OF view, but
is simply murderous now when the sum-
mer's sun makes every trench dispenser
of plague and of death. Refugees from the
cities were quick to spread the disease
through these villages. Now more slowly
but none the less surely they are dissent
mating it through the peninsula. When we
consider the local mortality at this early
date it is frightful to contemplate what the
total for Spain may be and almost surely
will be during the four or five torrid months
to come to say nothing OF the probability
nay, almost the certainty OF speedy
outbreak OF the plague in other southern
lands.