Hospital of La Misericordia, where slaves and Spanish women are treated.  In another hospital, called that of La Misericordia, [46] also inside the walls of Manila, sick slaves are treated for all ailments—­both men and women, in separate quarters.  There are generally from eighty to one hundred sick persons in it.  It has one separate room where poor Spanish women are treated, which generally has from twelve to twenty women.  That hospital is in charge of the Confraternity of La Misericordia ["mercy"], which bears all the expenses and keeps the hospital very well supplied with medicine and delicacies.  It is administered by religious of St. Francis.

Hospital of the natives.  Five hundred paces from the wall of Manila stands the hospital of the native Indians, where only Indian men and women are treated (in distinct rooms), for all ailments.  It has generally from about one hundred to one hundred and fifty sick.  Five hundred ducados are given to it annually from the royal treasury by the order of your Majesty, besides one thousand five hundred fanegas of uncleaned rice, one thousand five hundred fowls, and two hundred blankets [mantas] from Ylocos, while the medicines brought from Nueva Espana are shared with them.  With the above and four toneladas of the cargo which are given in the ships that ply to and from Nueva Espana (which are sold), some income that it possesses from the rent of certain lands, and a farm for large stock, there is enough for the treatment and care of the sick.  However, at present the hospital is short, because the toneladas of the cargo have been worthless during these last years; and because of the needs of the royal treasury the five hundred ducados have been owing for more than three consecutive years.  The hospital is in charge of a steward appointed by the governor, and is administered by the Order of St. Francis.

Hospital of the Sangleys.  In the town of Binondo, which lies near Manila on the other side of the river, is the hospital of San Gabriel, where the Sangleys, both Christian and pagan, are treated.  Although the sick who go thither are very few when compared with the so great number of that nation in these islands, since the sick generally do not exceed thirty in number—­and perhaps quite naturally, for since they have no hospitals in their country, they shun and despise them—­yet very great results are obtained there; for very few or none at all die without the water of baptism, while of those cured the most become converts, thanks to the preparation of the usual and familiar conversation and intercourse that they hold with the religious of the Order of St. Dominic, who minister to the said hospital, and endeavor most earnestly to convert them.  That hospital is sufficiently maintained by the money collected from the tolls of the Sangleys themselves, who pass from one district to the other opposite the Parian, [47] and with some income that it possesses.  Although the said tolls are collected from the Indian natives of these islands, it would be just to allow the latter to pass freely, as do the Spanish, slaves, freedmen, and those of other nations; for the natives ought not to be, in this matter, placed on a worse footing [than the others], especially since the money so obtained from them is only converted to the benefit of the Sangleys who are treated in the said hospital.