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

ment the filth of the town drops into an al
most stagnant sea. Nhat IS worse - that
at the points where these drains flow they are
only covered with plank. and the filth. disgust
ing to the nose, impresses itself on the eyes.
You not only then smell, but you see the garbage
of Toulon just fancy people living in this city
Of quite so, 900 inhabitants without the falntest
glimmer Of common sense in regard to public
hygiene! Tonlon must be inhabited by people
who utterly ignore every precaution which
health requires Their habits, both in their
houses and in the public street, are indescribably
filthy. Tho plain English of it IS about thls;
That it is impossible for people whe hive on fruit,
who drink all kinds of poor fluids, who sleep IN
dirt and nastiness who breathe an air polluted
by the sewage of the town itself and rendered
doubly poisonous by by the ezereta left by the
training ships, to escape cholera The marvel IS
that this disease DID not find its birth here
years before Toulon has always been breed
ing place of disease, Smallpox, when it broke
out in Toulon, was always of malignant type,
and more difficult to stamp out than elsewhere.
The natural death rate is invariably high, and
likely to be increased at any time by abnormal
diseases.
THE ToULoN HOSPITAL.
Toulon streets and shops displayed nothing of
their former hustle and activity There were
some few signs of life only in the two streets OF
La Republique and La Fayette Here the shops
were open, but elsewhere they were closed No
business seemed to be the rule and a visit paid
to the outlying sections of Toulon showed how
the dreaded disease had made the streets soE-
tude. visited hospital in the suburbs, con
strucfed in that unfortunate way so much In
vogue century or more ago. 1t has peen re-
eeiving cholera patients since the 18th OF July.
[ saw there thirty six cases of cholera. The con-
ditien of the patients differed in no respect from
those in Marseilles- There wereI however, no
children in the hospital Two women, appar-
entity belonging to the upper classes, had passed
through the crisis of the disease and were con-
valescent The only fault | found arose-so
thonght-from mixing together patients IN
various stages of the disease, though there
might be some excuse, owing to the cramped
space of the wards. Nevertheless, this
hospital was far better than the Pharo
at Marseilles. l cannot but speak in the highest
terms Of praise of the physicians in charge.
had not the least trouble in gaining an entrance
All the doctors seemed very sedulous in regard
to the condition of their patients and were ten
der and gentle Here | saw Nine Dorvan a
lady of wealth. whose name has already been
celebrated for her devotion to the cause of hui
manity. This brave woman has nursed cholera
patients in Egypt. Greece and Italy, found
her in the hospital busily occupied moving from
bed to bed, administering to the wants of the
sick. In conversation with her in regard TO
the contagious character of cholera Nine. Dor
van agreed with the doctors that, under proper
precautions, the elements of danger were singu
larry lessened. noticed that the doctors smoked
cigars and chewed considerable quantities of
eamphor 1t may be. remembered that in
Raspairs time, thirty years ago, canlphor Was
considered in France as an antidote for many
diseases. The doctors drink wine and beer freely.
1 put piece of tobacco in my mouth andchewed
away during my visit following the advice of
an old seagoing friend of mine, familiar
with. disease DR.. Koch has visited this hospi-
tai, hut it seems he did not leave pleasant inn
preston on the physicians in charge, having had
nothing to say. Perhaps the gay Frenchmen,
who were cheerful and merry about their duties,
may have shocked DR. Koch by their apparent
leyity The German expert, so they said, was
very careful to keep his mouth tight shut so
that he might not swallow single mirrobe. The
utmost precautions employed in regard to
the clothing of the sick which were eleansed in
boiling water at temperature OF 5U' Cent?
grade. A reminder of death was unpleasantly
recalled to me by my inspecting huge stack of
collins stored away in an old chapel There is
near the hospital public square, with a feun-
tain. In Marseiles, during the first outbreak of
the disease, the peruicious habit arose of cleans
ing the bed and bedding of the sick in the public
fountains This wretehed custom has not pre-
vailed in Toulon InMarseilles it simply spread
0ontagion Only the worst cases, | think, have
been brought. so far, to this hospital. In the
morning Of my visit man died while being lift
ed from carriage into the hospital. The doc
tors were, however. very hopeful. They were
awaiting impaGently thunderstorm, which
might bring cooler weather and mitigate the ter
rDTs of the plague.
FACTS AND SUGGESTIONS
To-days news indicates the spreading of the
liz accounted for The vast numbers Of refugees
must have distributed cholera, though over a
considerable area Fright, fatigue and bad food
are exactly the elements which predispose human
beings to attacks of cholera Ibelieve, as have
said before, that there is little danger of con
tagion provided precautions are taken | think
that fear kills many man. and woman. / find
that the nurses and Sisters of Charity who have
been stricken down with the disease were invar
iably those who had lost heart and were afraid
to face cholera.
l stopped over one train at Touon, during my
investigation, and then went again to Aries. but
had no time to visit the hospital there. found
10 one who could give me any Ineligible ac-
count Of affairs. An. old priest with whom
talked expressed himself in no measured terms
in regard to what he called 'sthe cowardice of
the people," He said Aries was deserted and so
panie-strcken that the dead, in some
eases, remained unburied; that offens
i've refuse still incumbered the
streets. A crowd of women endeavored, a
few days ago, at Toulon to get up religious pro
cession appealing to heaven for divine succor,
but the authorities forbade it. The authorities
are Radicals. This, at the time, created bad
impression Women in large numbers at all
hours haunt the churches at Toulon and at Mar
seilles praying before their favorte shrines long
and fervently. There is general antipathy
the part of the governing classes to these acts
and to clericalism in general but it ought not to
prevent wide and generous recognition of the
devotion of both priests and nuns in this crisis.
At the Toulon hospital the most touching case is
that of young woman, twenty years of age,
who is about to become mother. The
disease with her has taken a very curl
Gus and puzzling form. Rnmors are
heard here that. the disease is spread
ing along the Riviera, into Italy. The statement
is confidently made that many cases of cholera
have occurred on the italian coast, and that
panic reigns at Spezzia where several deaths
have occurred Spezzia is hot and
1-A9l xsel 1lnon CHI f1sAsN
what know of it, surrounded as it is by hills,
Hat in itself and locking out to sea. Should the
malady reach Naples the slaughter would be
fearful London is cleanliness itself compared
with the capital of southern Italy
The only interference for quarantine reasons
Chat I have experienced during my entire trip