Чума
Part IV
Oh,itwasquitetruethatmencouldnotdowithoutothermen,thathewasashelplessastheseunfortunatesandthathedeservedthatsameshudderofpitythatheallowedtoriseinhimwhenhehadleftthem.
SuchatleastwerethethoughtsthatDrRieuxpursuedovertheseinterminableweeks,alongwithothersconcerninghisstatusasaseparatedperson.Theywerethesamethoughtsthathecouldseereflectedinthefacesofhisfriends.Butthemostdangerouseffectoftheexhaustionthatgraduallyovertookallthosewhocarriedonthisstruggleagainsttheafflictionwasnotthisindifferencetooutsideeventsandthefeelingsofothers,buttheneglecttowhichtheygaveway.Theytendedatthistimetoavoidanygesturethatwasnotabsolutelynecessaryorwhichseemedtothemtotaxtheirstrengthtoomuch.Asaresult,thesemencameincreasinglytoneglecttheveryrulesofhygienethattheyhaddrawnup,tooverlooksomeofthevariousdisinfectingproceduresthattheyoughttoapplytothemselves;theywouldsometimeshurrytoseepatientssufferingfrompulmonaryplaguewithouttakingthenecessaryprecautions,becausetheyhadbeeninformedatthelastmomentthattheywouldhavetovisitaninfectedhouseandhadconsideredittooexhaustingtogobacktotheproperplaceinordertotakethenecessarydropsorinjections.Thisiswheretherealdangerlay,becauseitwastheverystruggleagainsttheplaguethatmadethemmorevulnerabletotheplague;inshort,theyweregamblingonchanceandchanceisonnobody’sside.
