The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-13

cholera hospital. The Archbishop of Paris is |
a daily vister at the hospitals. 1t is notice
able that the suburbs of this city, where the
drainage is bad, and the water mere sewage,
are unaffected by the epidemic; also,
that the environs and cemeteries scarcely
affected by the disease, while in several portions
of the city which are we'll supplied with water
several cases have occurred. Leseieux says the
quarters on the right side of the river Seine
which have been severely attacked by cholera
derive their water from the Lourey canals.
The Glasses Attacked-The Hospitals.
Cable Special.
Five full days have now elapsed since the out
break of cholera was made known to Paris, and
thoughkit is too early to foretell what mischief
the epidemic may work before it leaves US,
everything points to the conclusion that it will
prove much less serious than on any previous oc
casion. The total number of cases registered
go far are barely $50. OF these not one-third
have ended fatally, and the epidemic seems to
grow less virulent in ratio to the increase of
the sick list. As the population of the city is
nearly 250o,0O0, the proportion of deaths thus
far is quite Insignificant Unfortunately there
always are papic- moRgers interested in spread
ing the alarm. Chief among them are certain
sensational newspapers, which, by startling
headlines and reckless Inisstatements seem to
be doing their worst to drive strangers away
from Paris. Many hotels and board
ing houses are already nearly empty.
In one great hotel alone nearly 100
visitors stampeded within thirty-seven hours.
For this the local authorities ia some meas
responsible. AS the Temps observed the
other evening, They have studiously concealed
the fact that cholera has been here since june
and now that the epidemic has spread they have
suddenly revealed the fact, thus giving it undue
Importance"
The first case made public occurred in a
wretehed street OF the Faubourg St Antoine
named Rue Ste Marguerite. This continues to
be tine centre of the epidemic. With few excep-
tons only the very filthy and squalid districts
suffered. The richer quarters have so far almost
escaped infection. DIR. BrOuardel and all his |
confreres agree that the disease is really a mild
form of Asiatic cholera They are hopeful
however, of stamping it out quickly, AS DR.
Brouardel says, the doctors have had ample
warning. and are prepared to fight the invader.
We hear very little now of microbist or anti
microbist theories DIR. Koch's so-ealed dis
covery Is regarded with skepticism, though not !
refuted. The truth is, his assertions gen
orally held to be not proven. DIR. Peters, the |
fagorite pupil of the great surgeon. Dr. Trous |
seau. denonnces what he calls microbio |
mani social danger, and declares that the |
microbians' doctrine is vain, sterile and objec- |
tionablein every way, as both needlessly alarm
ing and wrongly reassuring.
Yesterday afternoon the correspondent Wis |
tied several houses in the Rue Ste. Marguerite |
and interviewed two ragpiekers in whose rooms
cholera cases had just occurred. Nothin G |
more sad or filthy than this street can well be |
imagined. 1t is a Partisan edition of the Roman
Ghetto withoutits picturesqueness. Almostallthe
houses are tenanted by ragpickers, who pay
from six to ten cents a night for their ROOM and
very often they crowd six or eight human erea-
lures into one room The ground floors are
chiefly occupied by foul Old clothes, stores, and
wineshops of the lowest kind. The proprietors
of the winesheps, in some instances rent whole
I1akf ham ffanx
ments are scarcely known in the Rue Ste. Mar
guerite. What water it gets is unfit for horses.
The first raSpicker interviewed was a quiet
spoken man Of thirty years, emaciated by want
and misery. He held little girl by the hand
and told your correspondent he had just been
nursing his sister in law, who after seventeen
hours illness, had been taken to the cholera |
ward of the Hospital St Antoine i'll desperate |
condition. Heseemed resigned and in way
afraid. He scoffed at the pauic-mongers for
alarming people
when 1 was out in Senegal" said he, 'Ive
seen 400 of them drop down in space not 500
yards square. Pm not afraid. The worst of it
is they won't let me go back to my room. 1t
must be disinfected they say. confound them
They're burning sulphur in it now"
''What did you do for your sister-in-lawp
II gave her tea and rum and with alcohol |
rubbed her limbs. believe it was fear more
than anything else that brought it on.
How many cases are there in this house4'
ftOnly one besides this"
"How many lodgersP
-Four hundred packed into La rooms" an
swered the ragpicker. 'Some of them so
wretehed dog would not lie in them; and you
should see the insects"
Just then a deeenly dressed young woman
came into the wine-shop where we were talking |
That, said the raepicker lis the widow Of the
first victim in this street"
Presently we were joined by second rag |
picker who had been keeping watch beside an
other cholera potent Like the first he was
quiet and equally free FROM terror. five been |
trying to get him to take alcohol said ne, but |
ne won't | told him he knew his own business |
best and came away. I've been with him four |
hours Afraid No! Shouldn't mind sleeping |
with him, but you see he's no relative of mine |
only pal"
''How do you account for the outbreak"
80 it's poisonous air brings it, and misery, ! |
suppose, replied No. 2.
1--WE ragpicters don't eat enough 10 keep body /
and soul together when make our three |
francs. and now there's nothing doing No, thank 1
you, l won't drink"
Your correspondent next called on the Di- |
rec tor Assistance Pubique, d. Quentin, and |
asked permission to visit the cholera wards of |
some of the hospitals NJ. Quentin a ruddy, |
GREETED his orders positively forbade him to let |
journalists into the wards No one was admit |
ted but the municipal authorities the senators |
and deputies of each arrondssement ''Howev- |
err" he added. Il am expecting the project of |
police every minute. We are going to the lemon !
Hospital together, and if he has no objection |
you may perhaps JOIN us.
NJ. Camescasse, the project, shortly arrived, |
and courteously gave the required permission. |
meet us at the Tenton in an hour" said NJ. |
Quentin.
In am hour your correspondent having taken |
the simple precaution OF tying flannel band
around his waist and putting a little camphor
into his pockets, drove up to the door OF tine |
handsome stone building near the Pere-a- Chaise |
Cemetery. Entering the vast courtyard, taste
fully laid out as n garden, frightened with |
nd Il tain hp