Чума
Part IV
ThePrefecturehadforalongtimewantedtoappeasepublicanxieties—somethingthattheplaguehadnotallowedittodo—andwasdecidingtogetthemedicalexpertstogetherforareportonthetopic,whenDrRichardtoowascarriedoffbytheplague,justastheepidemicreachedaplateau.
Thoughthiscaseafterallprovednothing,itwasimpressiveandtheauthorities,confrontedbyit,slippedbackintopessimismwithaslittlejustificationastheyhadatfirstwelcomedRichard’soptimism.Castelforhispartwascontenttopreparehisserumasconscientiouslyashecould.Therewasonlyonepublicplacethatwasnottransformedintoahospitaloranisolationfacility,andifthePrefecturewasstillgivenimmunity,itwasbecausetheyhadtokeeponeplacewherepeoplecouldmeet.Butonthewhole,becauseoftherelativestabilityoftheepidemicatthistime,theorganizationthatRieuxprovidedprovedsufficient.Thedoctorsandtheirassistants,whowereundertakingexhaustingtasks,didnothavetocontemplatestillgreaterefforts.Theymerelyhadtocontinuethissuperhumanworkinaregularmanner,onemaysay.Thepulmonaryformsoftheinfectionthathadalreadyappearednowmultipliedineverypartofthetown,asthoughthewindwerelightingandfanningflamesinpeople’schests.Thesufferersdiedmuchmorequickly,vomitingblood.Thedegreeofcontagionthreatenedtobegreaterwiththisnewformoftheepidemic—thoughtheopinionsofspecialistshadalwaysbeencontradictoryonthispoint.
