Чума
Part I
Atleast,onemightputsomeknownfacesonthisanonymouspile.Butofcourseitwouldbeimpossible;apartfromwhich,whoknowstenthousandfaces?Inanyevent,peoplelikeProcopiuswerenotabletocount,asiswellknown.InCanton,seventyyearsago,fortythousandratsdiedofplaguebeforethepestilenceaffectedthehumaninhabitants.Butin1871theydidn’thaveanymeansofcountingrats.Thecalculationwasamatterofapproximation,ofmoreorless,withanobviousmarginforerror.However,ifoneratisthirtycentimetreslong,fortythousandrats,placedend-to-end,wouldmake…
Butthedoctorwasirritatedwithhimself.Hewaslettinghimselfgoandheoughtnotto.Afewcasesarenotanepidemicanditwasaquestionoftakingprecautions.Onehadtostickwithwhatoneknew:stuporandprostration,redeyes,furredmouth,headaches,thebubos,thedreadfulthirst,delirium,patchesonthebody,theinneranguishand,attheendofitall…Attheendofitall,somewordscamebacktoDrRieux,asentencethathappenedtoroundoffthelistofsymptomsinhismedicaltextbook:"Thepulsebecomesthreadyanddeathoccursastheresultofsomeslightmovement."Yes,attheendofallthat,onewashangingbyathreadandthreeoutoffourpeople,thatwastheprecisenumber,weresoimpatientthattheymadetheslightmovementthatwouldcarrythemoff.
Thedoctorwasstilllookingoutofthewindow.
