Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 182?-183?, 1832-06-29

MANY suppose lnere is no cholera except
such as is produced by poison and the Ho-
tel D'eu, and the other hospital, are be-
sieged daily by the infatuated mob, who
swear vengeance against the government
for all the mortality they witness.
| have just returned from visit TO the
Hotel Dieu-the hospital for the cholera
lmpelled by powerful motive, which it is
not now necessary 10 explain, had previous
iy made several attempts TO gain admission
IN vain /; but yesterday fell in fortunately
with an English physician, who told me |
could pass with doctors diploma, which he
| offered TO borrow for me of some medical
friend. lie called by appointment at seven
!his morning, TO accompany me on my Iis-
! 1t was like one of our loveliest mornings in
juneau inspiriting, sunny, balmy day, all
soitness and beauty-and we crossed the Tu-
lleries by one of IFS superb avenues, and kept
down the bank of the river 10 the Island
| With the errand on which we were bound
IN our minds, it was impossible not to be
struck very forcibly with our own exquisite
enjoyment of life. | am sure Inever felt
my veins fuller of the pleasure ofhealth and
motion and never Saw a day when every
thing about me seemed better worth living
| Tor The splendid palace of the Louvre,
IN the mellowest sunshine on our left the
! lively river, covered with boats, and SPAWNED
with It's magnificent and crowded bridges
on our right; he view of the island and its
massive old structures below, and the fine
gray towers of the church OF Notre Dame,
rising, dark and gloomy, in the distance,
rendered 1t difficult 10 realize any thing but
lie and pleasure. That under those very
towers, which added so much TO the beauty
Oh Inc scene, there lay thousand and more
Oh poor wretches dying of a plague, was a
/ thought my mind would not retain mo-
ment
Half an hours walk brought us to the
| Place NOtre Dame, on one side of which
next this celebrated church, stands the hos
! pltal. My friend entered, leaving me TO
wait till he had found an acquaintance of
whom he could borrow diploma A hearse
was standing at the door of the church, and
| went IN for moment. 4 few mourners
with the most extreme poverty, were kneel-
ing round coffin, at one of the side affairs ;
and a solitary priest with an attendant boy,
was murmuring the prayers for the dead
AS came out, another hearse drove up,
with rough coffin, scantily covered with a
pail, and followed by one poor old man.
| They hurried in, and strolled around the
square. Fifteen or twenty water-carriers
were filling their buckets at the fountain OPP
poslte, singing and laughing and at the
same moment four different litters crossed
| towards the hospital, each with two or three
| followers, women and children, friends or
| relatives of the sick, accompanying them
10 the door, where they parted from them.
! most probably forever. The litters were set
down for moment before ascending the
steps The crowd pressed around and lifted
! the coarse curtain farewells are now ex-
changed, and the sick alone passed in |
did not see any great demonstrations of feel
ing IN the particular cases that were before
me; but can conceive, in the almost dead
ly certainty of this disease, that these hasty
partingS al the door ofthe hospital might Of
! ten be scenes OF unsurpassed suffering and
distress.
I | waited perhaps ten minutes more. Tn
the whole time that had been there, twelve
| litters bearing the sick had entered the Ho-
tel Dieu. AS exhibited the borrowed di
ploma the thirteenth arrived, and with il. a
young man whose violent and uncontrolled
/ grief worked 50 far on the soldier at the door,
that he allowed him TO pass followed the
J bearers to the ward, interested exceedingly
to observe the first treatment and manner
OF reception. They wound slowly UP the
stone staircase to the upper story, and enter
ed the female departmental long low room
containing nearly hundred beds, placed in
| alleys scarce two feet from each other. Near
| ly all were occupied &those which were emp
ty my friend told me were vacated by death
( yesterday. They set down the litter by the
side OF narrow cot, with coarse but clean
sheets, and Sour de Charlie, with white
cap, and cross at her girde, came and took
Oft the canopy. A young woman of appa-
renuy twenty five, was beneath absolutely
convulsed with agony. Her eyes we're start
/ ed from their sockets, her mouth foamed and
her face was ofa frightful livId purple |
never saw so horrible a sight. She had
been taken in perfect health Only three hours
4 before, but her features look ed TO me marked
with a year of pain. The first ATTEMPT TO
lift her produced violent vomiting, and /
thought she must die instantly They coy
cred her up in bed, and leaving the man who
came with her hanging over her with the
moan of one deprived Of his senses, thew
went to receive others, who were enterino
in the same manner inquired of my COM
panion how soon they would be attended TO.
lie said possibly in an hour, as the physi-
clan was just commencing his rounds.'' An
hour after this | passed the bed of this poor
woman and she had not yet been visited
Her husband answered my question with a
choking voice and flood Of fears
passed down the ward, and found nine
teen or twenty in the last agonies ofdeath.-
They lay perfectly still and seemed benunb-
ed. felt the limbs of several. and found
them quite cold. The stomach only had
little warmth. Now and then half !
groan escaped those who seemed the strono,-
est but with the exception ofthe universal