The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-29

covered among the houses on its Journey
to the sea. This stream was laden
the Marseilles quarters -Capelette and the
adjoining one-which have furnished much over
one-half of the deaths that have occurred in
Marselles, and it is an interesting fact that the
largest proportion of them were Italians The
wharves all along the water front we found to be
crowded with quarantine shipping. mostly italian
and French and picturesque sights were these
Mediterranean sailors, among whom were many
negroes lying about in the shade.
TOUR OF THE PHARo HOSPITAL.
After this experience decided to visit the hos
pital The authorities objected to my entrance
at the Pharo, and there was much difficulty in
getting over their objections. A lady superior
of convent sent me to the prefect He was
| politely regretful at being unable to grant my
| request, and sent me to see DR.. Clauzel Dr.
| Clauzel it was impossible to find either at his
house or his Office. Fortunately / had note
from Paris physician to DR.. Queviel the pres
ldent of the Medical Society," and letter from
| Dr.. Queviel finally availed to secure me admis-
sion. young English physician named Paul
Bossano was my amiable escort through the
wards Of the building now called the Hos
magnificent structure externally. It was
erected by the municipality for the late Emper-
or Napoleon III, and was still unfinished when
Sedan changed all the plans and the work was
then stopped. A few years ago the ex- Empress
claimed 1t as her personal property Litigation
followed. and the municipality was beaten.
Eugene then presented the building to Mar
seilles During the war with Germany it was
used as hospital, and on the recent appearance
OF the cholera it was given over to the medical
authorities for use again as hospital As a
palace, the structure is superb one, but as a
hospital it is badly arranged. During tour of
the rooms saw eighty four patients in all stages
OF the disease, from the last agonized breath to
the period of cheerful convalescence Every
face In these eighty-four, male and female, was
face of a person from the lower walks of life
and this am told has been the rule among
patients from the first. At the beginning, nine
teen -twenteths of the patients received at the
Pharo failed to recover. For the last fortnight
matters have so far improved that only two
thirds of those received have died. This ex-
cessive mortality at first was largely due
to the fact that most cases when received had
developed into hopeless condition. The high
est number that have been in the hospital at any
one time is 110, and the largest number received
in any one day is 81. There are two chief doe
tors and four subordinates, who serve in turns
There are besides two apothecaries, ten Angus
tinlan Sisters, and large force of laborers All
of these people. except the two chiefs, will be
obliged to remain in the hospital constantly until
November, having been forbidden to go out of the
city One Sister has already died here
The treatment, both here and at Toulon in
the first stages, is twenty drops of laudadum
with three grains of ether, and ice in the mouth
to stop the vomiting. In the second stages the
patients become very cold. From ten to fifteen
OF dc6bdb6 ammonia, Jl6 same Quan-
tity of alcohol and two injections of morphia
are given daily. If the patient cannot breathe
artificial respiration of oxygen is produced and
the limbs are rubbed with turpentine. The
bodies in the coffns is made necessary
by the fact that violent post-mor-
tenn action of the limbs takes place,
caused by a terrible reaction after death, in
cold at dissolution to 1902 after it. Each coffin
is carefully disinfected Of many pathetic
sights, the most painful that saw occurred in
the female ward, where one room was mostly
occupied by children A nun held in her arms
by an open window dying babe eighteen
months old. Its three sisters, the Oldest being
| only ten years, lay on beds near by their par
ents, both of whom died the same day, and there
was small hope for any Of the remaining
children save the Oldest. A dozen children in
| all were to be seen here, some of them in a state
of recovery.
MIDNIGHT AT THE CEMETERY.
Late at night drove with my courier outside
the city to the cemetery, St Pierre, to see the
burial of the three patients whom l had OBJ
served in the Pharo Hospital in the afternoon.
The route led through the poor quarter, and at
every corner bonfres were blazing to purify the
air. The whole population was sitting out on
the steps of tenements or on church porches en-
joying the fires and the currents of air created
by them The country road beyond the barriers
brought us to the gates of the cemetery, when the
polite concierge, who politer still for 5f, led
us walking down spacious road, lighted here
and there by lanterns lying on the ground, to a
place Just back from where he had been and
where the nights burials were to take place
Soon the first of the hearses appeared; then fol
lowed the others. After brief burial service
intoned by apale young priest, who looked bad
ly scared three boxes were hurriedly lowered
into trench eight feet deep by twenty feet
long, and goodly quantity Of lime was shoyeled
on top It was ghastly trench, and there was
plenty of room for more collins. 1t was weird
and saddening sight There stood the blanch-
faced priest, intent on his holy calling surround
ed by gang of swart bare chested, brigandish-
looking laborers. who bore the sombre collins.
For background there stood the tall white
houses. The dead still wore their tawdry trink-
cts, and the whole was lighted up as in picture
by Rembrandt by the ftful glare of three
lanterns. Those gaping trenches were
big enough to hold their thousands. A con-
cerge showed me a burial permit. Across
the face of the document was written
"Cholera- urgent and there was
requisition for some disnfectant I went back
to the central part of the city and it was gay
enough. Bands were playing and cafe lamps
were cleaning People in throngs were walking
in the streets laughing merriy. and many heads
were poked out of the windowssef the houses 1t
was hard for me to believe that / had just vis-
tied the hospitals, had witnessed DEATH or that
the terrible scenes at the cemetery realities
and not mere phantasms of my imagination. At
o'clock next morning, saw mournful pro-
cesslon OF Iuliy oOU people forming opposite the
Palais de PIndustrie, just opposite my windows.
They were poor people, taking their turn so that
they might obtain modicum of bread. All day
long this cue remained, and was sadly suggest
i've of panic.
ON TO ToULoN
Ny visit to Toulon was necessary in order to
show me more plainly what were the effects Of
the epidemic. The country people seemed to
have lost their wits. The stations along the
road were deserted save by the railway officials.
Asat Aries and everywhere else where there
was stopping place, piles Of baggage, bedding
and household furniture incumbered the plat
forms At the Boulevard de Lesse, near the
sLatinr nt Toa,ln,a carr M hra,..n. -