Чума
Part III
Moreover,whileatthestartthemoraleofthepeoplewasaffectedbysuchpractices—becausethedesiretobedecentlyburiedismorewidespreadthanyoumightthink—luckily,afterashortwhile,therewasanurgentproblemoffoodsuppliesandtheattentionoftheinhabitantsturnedtowardsmoreimmediateconcerns.Takenupwithqueuing,pullingstringsandfillingformsiftheywantedtoeat,peopledidnothavetimetoworryabouthowothersweredyingaroundthemandhowtheythemselveswouldonedaydie.Sothesematerialdifficultieswhichseemedlikeanafflictionwouldeventuallybeseentohavebeenaboon.Allwouldhavebeenforthebestiftheepidemichadnotspread,aswehaveseen.
Forcoffinswerestartingtobeinshortsupply,andtherewasnotenoughclothforshroudsorspaceinthecemetery.Somethinghadtobedone.Thesimplestthing,stillforreasonsofefficiency,seemedtobetogroupfuneralstogetherandwhennecessarytoincreasethenumberofjourneysbetweenthehospitalandthecemetery.So,asfarasRieux’shospitalwasconcerned,theyhadfivecoffinsforthetimebeing.Oncethesewerefull,theambulanceloadedthem.Atthecemeterythecoffinswereemptied,thecorpses,greyasiron,wereloadedonstretchersandwaitedinaspeciallypreparedhanger,thecoffinsweresprayedwithanantisepticsolutionandtakenbacktothehospital,thentheprocessbeganagain,asoftenasnecessary.ThewholethingwaswellorganizedandthePrefectexpressedhissatisfaction.
