National Republican., 1885-08-10
PARTISAN TOPICS.
FRENCH DOCTORS QUARRELTNG OVER
CHOLERA PR0PHYLACTICS.
Has DR.. Ferran Discovered n
Cholera Vaccine P-Examina-
ton Week at the Conservatory
Death of Former Beauty.

PARIS, July 24.-More fortunate than
the Spaniards we have not yet had n re.
turn Of the cholera, but the public mind
is not entirely sure that we shall not be
troubled az we were year ago at this
time. Some timid ones have gone
away as though the dreaded disease had
already made its appearance, and some
Of the members of the government have
invoked its possible return as an argu-
ment in favor of Fastening the date of
the general elections--as though they
feared to lose part of their majority !
If we have not the disease itself we have
at least q very pretty quarrel over it.
Has the Spanish doctor (Ferran) dis.
covered the means Of cultivating the
cholera virus so as, in successfully weak.
ening its force, he succeeds in using IL
a means of assuring the immunity of the
inoculated2 This is the question that is
being discussed here with warmth
that the doctors bring to all sub.
iects upon which they cannot
agree. When DR.. Ferran first announced
his discovery his own compatriots we're
skeptical about it, and the Spanish gov.
ernment declined to allow him TO con-
tinue to inoculate the populations of
Valencia, where he had practiced his
new discovery in presence ofthe mayors
of the various communes, until medical
commission had reported upon its eff
cacy. The French Academy Of Medi.
cine, thinking there might be something
NJ. a,,ta 1tunAunrt mt Ia,
terest the world, induced the minister Of
commerce to send q medical committee,
consisting Of Drs. Brouardel, Charrin,
and Albarran to, Valencia to study the
Spanish physicians process When the
French doctors arrived on the spot they
met with refusal on the part of DR..
Ferran; at least they say 80. The Span
ish physician, they claim, was willing
that they should know everything except
the way he prepared his vaccine. The
French committee we're not satisfied with
this proceeding, and upon their return to
Paris they reported that DIR. Ferran
had refused to make known the scientific
part of his system, and that all they
could say from observation was that his
inoculations were inoifensive. DIR. Fer.
ran, as soon as he had cognizance of this
report, replied that he had not refused
the desired information, which is to be
found in the memoirs sent to the medi.
cal faculties at Paris and Barcelona; all
he had hesitated to reveal was his mate
rial process, as he did not wish the
savants Of other countries to get posses.
sion of his discovery. He very properly
said, it seems to me, that the French
minister having sent the committee to
Spain to study the vaccination expert.
ments made by him all they had to do
was to examine and report upon the re-
suits of his work, and not upon the eys.
tenn itself. DR.. Brouardel and his asso.
ciates did not wish to begin their study
until DR.. Ferran had communicated to
them the result of his system, hence the
quarrel. AS long ago as April DR.. Fer
ran sent a detailed report OF his discovery
to the French Academy of Sciences, and
announced himself candidate for the
Breant prize of $40, 900, which is to be
given to the one who can prove that he
has really found cholera vaccine.
Yesterday the committee who examine
the claims of the candidates for the prize
reported that the statistics of the inocu.
lations practieed in Spain are not trust
worthy, and that before beginning a study
on the vaccine they desired to have OF.
fetal figures. This may be only polite
way of putting of DIR; Ferran, who is
na.ura' III se'y onr Eu ,;a,; WI s
any Spanish subiect are as difficult to OBJ.
tain as Democratic majority in Massa
chusetts. 1t would seem, however,
that the certified bulletins of the leading
Spanish physicians in tie provinces
where DR.. Ferran has operated with his
vaccine ought to be sufficient base for
the French Academy of Sciences to be.
gin their examination of the subject;
their hesitation to do 80 lends color to
the reports that are beginning to be
whispered about that professional and
national jealousy has something to do
with their conduct. In a letter Just made
public that DIR. Ferran has written to DR..
Carlos Cameron, of Glasgow, a member
of the British parliament, il appears that
there il renson to believe that The Span
ish doctor has discovered not only the
vaccine of the cholera, but the virus of
ali the epidemics of which the microbe
is known. If this theory be exact DIR.
Cameron will not have exaggerated his
praise in saving, ia be does in the forth.
coming number of the Nineteenth Cen
tury, that DIR. Ferran's discovery ought
20 be placed by the side of that of Jenner.
m, ,,,,,,
TIE ooNSh"' "ioi""'
We have entered upon what, in musi-
col parlance, is known as "the terrible
week"--the public exercises have begun
at the Conservatoire. From now until
the end Of the month there will be an
uninterrupted flow of melody and decla.
nation in the stuffy little hall in the Fau
bonrg Poissonniere, where numerous
young ladies' and gentlemen are striving