THE INFIRMARY. 433 



have stood in the front of the battle, became so terror- 

 stricken the " quicksilver," as a friend quaintly expressed 

 it, "having fallen below their knees" as fairly to "turn 

 tail " and run away ! Still there were very many amongst 

 the better classes who behaved nobly on the emergency, 

 and encouraged their fellow-citizens to exertion for the 

 general good. Unfortunately, however, General Count Rosen, 

 the Governor, a man of great decision of character, was 

 absent at the time on official duty, so that there was no one 

 on the spot properly to direct their praiseworthy efforts. 



In the meantime the pest spread with fearful violence; 

 and nothing having been previously arranged, the hurried 

 preparations made on the spur of the moment were totally 

 inadequate. Though several hospitals were subsequently 

 established, the infirmary in the first instance was, I believe, 

 the only public building for the reception of the sick; and 

 this, as may be supposed, was soon filled to overflowing. It 

 is said, indeed, that at the first breaking out of the cholera, 

 hundreds of sick, for the want of accommodation within 

 doors, were deposited in the lobbies and outbuildings. 



The infirmary at this period was, in truth, a horrible 

 abode : death and despair were depicted on the countenances 

 of the poor inmates, and their cries and moans were distinctly 

 to be heard in all the surrounding houses. 



" The outer entrance to this establishment," so writes a 

 friend, who in company with an acquaintance of his visited it 

 within little more than a week after the outbreak of the 

 pestilence, " was blocked up, partly by Sjuk-Mrare (those 

 whose special duty it was to convey the sick to the hospitals), 

 who were occupied either in bringing in poor creatures, there 

 to find their graves, or in setting forth in search of fresh 



VOL. I. F F 



