This paper studies the health policy measures taken by the local government of Xalapa to prevent cholera morbus from causing serious harm in the city. The fact that Cabildo assumed control of preventative sanitary policy was evidence of a new vision of society, in which the State sought to take a leading role in actions. Before the outbreak of the disease, the municipal authorities implemented a series of measures designed to preserve public health, such as public announcements and the creation of commissions to preserve public order. However one of these - the decision to change the location of the hospitals, including the military one - led to conflicts with the military authorities. The dispute over the possession of the Military Headquarters, which many groups considered their own, revealed a power struggle, as the civil authorities sought to impose their decisions on the military.