Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-29


From Galignanrs Messenger.
The civil and military authorities Of Madrid
are making strenuous preparations against the
eventuality Of the cholera spreading through
out the city in the autumn, as medical men gen.
orally seem to fear viii be the case. In each
reimbursement Of the local juntas q small hos
pital for fifty cases is being organized in addi.
ton to district hospitals capable In case of need
Of accommodating 900 70 900. Special iso-
lated cholera wardA. moreover, have been
tails Of the city. So far Madrid itself has suffered
but lightly and no case has yet occurred among
the troops Of the garrison, numbering nigh on
$4,000 men. The houses wherein the disease
fected, the inhabitanfs being turned out and
The poor quarters Of the old town, With o TIER
narrow streets, unhealthy courts, dark stair
cases, obscure and badly ventilated apart
together pellmell, and support existence God
knows how-such quarters are the veriest hot
nately their inhabitants are Invariably reirac.
authorities and will. frequently conceal their
sent to the hospital and the rooms disinfected4
As 1t Is impossible to convert this population
TO hygienic principles, the authorities are at
tempting to surround us with the old and ex-
ploded safeguards of quarantine. Fumigation Of
passengers, baggage, &C.. takes place at no less
ming into the city. One is subjected TO the same
operation In the Madrid stations, where passen-
gers and their luggage are again closely inspect
ed, while strict watch Is kept on the fruit and
vegetable markets. Under the influence partly
of fear, partly of custom, thousands of tn
richer Inhabitants have fed for refuge to the
sixteen provinces OF the north and northwest,
not yet attacked; many even having pushed on
into France, notwithstanding the rigorous san
itary precautions that have been enforced on
the Pyrenean frontier since the cholera has de-
ciared itself In SaragOSsA, Barcelona, Pampe.
luna, and the valley of the Ebro.
The accounts received from the provinces are
heartrending. The epidemic appears to be ex.
tending, especially in the east OF the peninsula.
In the province of LOria its ravages are terrible
In single town Of that district 100 corpses
have been lying exposed In the streets for three
days; all the physicians, all the municipal
having persisted. Advices from Murcia an
nounce that 20 cOrpSes remain unburied In the
town Of Ajecla, whence almost all the surviv.
ors have fed. In Andalusia also the pestilence
Inhabitants have been carried of in ten days;
the town is without any physician, and the
single surviving gendarme Is occupied in inter-
ring the bodies. The credits voted for combat
eminent will be obliged to cOnvoke the council
Of state to obtain resources.
The disease is beginning seriously to affect the
treasury receipts. During May there was a fur
ther decrease Of several millions in the amount
of imports, with q consequent loss Of GOO, OOOf
to the customs. The figures for June and July
have been SO bad that the treasury has been
forced to pledge per cent amortissable bonds
and drafts on the army re-enlistment fund as
security for an immediate advance of
3O,0OO,OOOt TO meet current expenses, and the
bank will pay itself later II It be found possible
to get in the taxes, which are now levied with
the greatest difficulty in the afflicted districts
The floating debt has thus again made its
the autumn, as there seems every probability
OF its doing, this debt must rapidly increase.