Чума
Part IV
Meanwhile,formaximumsafety,healthworkerscontinuedtobreathethroughmasksofdisinfectedgauze.Inanycase,onewouldhaveexpectedthediseasetospread,butsincethenumberofcasesofbubonicplaguewasfalling,thefiguresstayedlevel.
However,theremightbeotherreasonsforanxietybecauseofincreasingdifficultiesingettingfoodsupplies.Speculatorswereinvolvedandvitalnecessities,unobtainableontheordinarymarket,werebeingofferedathugeprices.Poorfamiliesconsequentlyfoundthemselvesinaverydifficultsituation,whiletherichlackedforpracticallynothing.Becauseoftheefficientimpartialitywhichitbroughttoitsadministrations,theplagueshouldhaveworkedforgreaterequalityamongourfellow-citizensthroughthenormalinterplayofegoism,butinfactitheightenedthefeelingofinjusticeintheheartsofmen.Ofcourse,noonecouldfaulttheequalityofdeath,butitwasnotonethatanybodywanted.Thepoorwhosufferedinthiswayfromhungerthoughtwithgreaternostalgiathaneverofneighbouringtownsandvillageswherelifewasfreeandbreadwascheap.Sincetheycouldnotbeproperlynourished,theyhadtheratherunreasonablefeelingthattheyshouldhavebeenallowedtoleave.SomuchsothatsomeoneeventuallydevisedasloganthatyoucouldreadsometimesonthewallsorwhichatothertimeswasshoutedatthePrefectwhenhewentpast:"Breadorair!"Thisironicphrasewasthesignalfordemonstrationsthatwererapidlysuppressed,thoughnoonedoubtedtheirseriousness.
