462 
Political Affairs in November . [Dec.l, 
exhales miasmata, not perceptible to 
the senses, which attach it to bedding, 
clothes, furniture, and even the walls 
of the apartments (as, from numerous 
facts, there is reason to believe,) which 
there become capable of infecting indi¬ 
viduals, more or less promptly accord¬ 
ing to their pre-disposition. The dis¬ 
ease appears to have its seat in the ner¬ 
vous system. It successively para¬ 
lyzes the different viscera. The kidneys 
cease their functions first. The body, 
which may be called a corpse still ani¬ 
mated, exhibits all the symptoms of 
decomposition. Some patients, after 
exhibiting all the signs of complete 
dissolution, have by degrees returned 
to life, and have been cured. It requires 
courage, I assure you, and the most 
perfect self-resignation, toapproach and 
touch certain patients. Tile stomach 
appears to be the most constant point 
of attack. It is subject to a kind of 
irritation which is quite sui generis. 
Its state must not be confounded with 
a phlegmasia, though gangrenous parts 
are often found in its interior. There 
is no inflammatory appearance in the 
yellow fever. After the convulsive 
spasmswhich mark the commencement, 
atomy soon takes place, and the extinc¬ 
tion of life follows. At this moment 
the intensity of the disease appears to 
have abated, but still from one to two 
hundred die daily. Scarcely a week 
ago the number was from two to three 
hundred.” 
Barcelona, Oct. 17.—I wrote to 
you by the last courier, at a moment 
when I was scarcely able to hold the 
pen, in a state of high fever. I have 
forgotten all the details which I sent 
..you. Ah, my dear brother, if you 
beheld my situation ! I am the most 
wretched of men. Vie were eight in 
number, shut up in this one house. 
From the 7th of December we had com¬ 
munication with no human creature. 
What a mischance! when on the 10th 
instant we heard knocking at the door. 
We went to look out of the window— 
Sanlapan is called for, in order to he 
informed that his son was taken ill. At 
this news the wretched father cried out 
repeatedly, 44 my son ! my son has taken 
the infection; I will see him!” The 
mother, who was in the house, appeared 
as wretched as the father. They went 
out in haste, and returned in a quarter 
of an hour with their sick son. It was 
in vain that we remonstrated with them 
upon the danger of introducing him. 
As they were the porters of the house, 
we could not prevent (heir entering. 
Heavens ! what imprudence ! what ca¬ 
lamity ensued ! The son was put to 
bed—in 24 hours he expired. The mo¬ 
ther was soon seized with the contagiou 
—also the father. Between the 10th 
and 14th, the eight of us had caught it. 
Of these eight, five were carried off, 
and my daughter is in her last hour. 
The French physicians visit us twice a 
day, and give some hopes of recovery. 
To be prepared for the worst, I have 
made my will, which is deposited at the 
parish church of St. Michael. To-day 
I have been upon the ramparts, search¬ 
ing for some herbs for my daughter. 
On my way along I encountered at least 
twenty carts loaded with dead. There 
are still 10,000 dead in the town. At 
Bareelonetta there is not a soul left— 
44 All the world” is dead. The worst 
of it is, the bodies are left to horrible 
putrefaction in the houses. It is im¬ 
possible to stir out without shedding 
tears. Terror is at its utmost. At this 
moment I am looking on, whilst the 
beds, the mattrasses, the coverings, and 
the bodies of the victims are thrown 
out of the windows into the street. In 
some streets there is not a sufficiency 
of carts, and some hundred bodies are 
left in heaps upon the pavements. If I 
said the deaths are a thousand a day, I 
should not exaggerate. I believe the 
number is greater. I believe all those 
in the town will perish. M. Pariref, 
the French physician, has this instant 
visited my daughter for the last time. 
He announces to me the death of one 
of his colleagues, M. Mozet. Another, 
M. Baity, is dangerously ill. They will 
110 longer remain in the town, because 
the General, who commands the first 
cordon, will not consent to fall back a 
league. Our doctors wished that every 
body should go out of the town, and 
since that is not allowed, it is impossi¬ 
ble to check the plague. 
SOUTH AMERICA. 
Two events of the past month open 
delightful prospects to mankind, and 
give us hopes, in spite of the Machia- 
velian doctrines of the European eco¬ 
nomists, and the selfish policy of those 
who consider industry as their proper¬ 
ty. We allude to the surrender of 
Lima, which consolidates the republi¬ 
can government of La Plata, Chili, and 
Peru, and in them gives rise to a vast 
empire equal to that of the United 
States of North America in various cli¬ 
mates and resources, and we hope also 
in public liberty. 
