Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-08-19
SCENES IN BREADLESS INDIA.
Dr. Louis Kopsch Tells His Personal Experiences in the
Stricken Land.
Stricken Land.

mile off. Thither we directed our steps
and in due time we reached the an
tithesis of the Gaekwnr's Palace. AS
rich as were his quarters. so destitute
was the pOor-house. In my notebook
wrote a line that reads; This is the
worst have yet seem" and as 1 recall
it now, i marvel that i ever had the
courage to pass into and through the
filthy wards. and more filthy yard that
constituted this shocking blot on civil
iZation.
/ had become accustomed TO sights
nauseating and revolving. but the Bar
oda poorhouse stands out as the most
terrible conglomeration of abject mis-
cry that ever met my gaze. The suns
rays penetrated my pith hat and dazed
brain and eyes, while an ehluvia of
concentrated decomposition rendered
breathing both difficult and dangerous.
Almost stifled and stupeficd we wendell
our way through the dead and the
uyfng. with smallpox, dysentery, fever
and cholera to the right and to the
left. leaving terror behind us. only TO
find horror awaiting us.
7 left Baroda for the last of these
letters. because ] was painfully con-
scious of the paucity of my vocabulary
to do justice to the subject, and after
have written the worst l shall feel that
even then 1 have only family indicated
the real condition of affairs.
.
At the entrance to the poorhousc
stood woman blind. I had often seen
women who had lost their sight rs the
result of the horrible famine, but ]
had never seen one who looked as did
| this woman. Reduced to a living skele-
ton. the balls of her eyes were ac-
tually decaying In the sockets of her
CHASTITY skull. and flies innumerable
were acting the part of scavengers UNI
| disturbed.
She stood bareheaded in sun which
would have proved fatal to me in less
time than it takes to write this Incl
dent. Her claw-like hands inactivels
hung down her sides until she hearc
our footsteps. Then they were raised
appealingiy in the direction of tn,
sound. while she mumbled almost in
audibly her piaintive petition. No
realizing at first that she was blind
walked up close to her. when anothe
more frantic effort on her part brough
her two hands into direct contact will
my eyes.
/ shuddered as I felt the cold, clam
my touch. but being blind she coult
not see 1t. l quickly got beyond he
reach and then, as l supposed. unob
served placed q rupee in her hand. il
another instant q dozen other misera
BILE remnants of humanity pressed for
ward pleading vociferously for help
Just then the attendant appeared am
promptly ordered them back. VIVA
might have happened but for his timel
interference I dread to contemplate. n
Mr. Frease and Mr.. Hudson. who hav
since died of the cholera, with m
other companions. had advanced NOR
quickly, and were beyond the reach c
my voice.
I entered the first Of many ward
separated from ono another by BAN
boo partition. 1t WAS fun OF patient
Z suffering from every manner Of al
, ment. Cholera. dyeentery and guine
: worm predominated On some cots tn
: unfortunates were doubled up. TIL
, temperature was appallingly high. TIL
air was laden with an odor superle
, lively offensive. It WAS thick with o!