The priest may be obliged to administer baptism, to hear confession, to give the Viaticum and Extreme Unction. Before going to visit a smallpox patient let him find out from the physician in attendance whether the patient can receive the Viaticum, whether he can swallow it or not, whether he can open his mouth enough to take it. Ask also about the possibility of vomiting. Only a very small particle is to be brought in the pyx.
The leather cover for the pyx should not be taken into a smallpox room. Set the pyx inside a corporal, wrap the corporal in paper, and put this package into the pocket of the Hawes suit before entering the room.
As to the use of a stole,—the moralists say "graviter peccatur ab eo qui sine urgente necessitate sine ulla sacra veste unctionem administrat." There is a grave necessity here for doing away with the stole because of the difficulty in disinfecting it, unless you have one made that can be put into boiling water for ten minutes before you leave the patient's house.
The oil-stocks should contain only as much oil as is necessary for the single occasion, because what remains, with the cotton, should be burned in the patient's house.
Do not remain in the room longer than you must unless you have had smallpox. If there is any prayer or ceremonial that can be omitted, by all means leave it out. Lehmkuhl says that the penitential psalms and the litanies may be omitted. Baptise by the short form.
St. Alphonsus Liguori (Theol. Mor., lib. 5, tr. 5, n. 710) tells us there is no obligation to anoint both eyes and both ears, "si adsit periculum infectionis," but danger of infection is not materially increased by anointing both sides. [{178}] Lehmkuhl adds, "excepta dispensatione Sedis Apostolicae addatur unctio pedum." When the feet are to be anointed do not touch the bed-clothing,—tell the nurse to uncover the feet.
St. Alphonsus (loc. cit., n. 729) speaking of extreme unction has these words: "Pastor ratione officii tenetur sub mortali dare lis qui petunt, nisi justa causa excuset: etiam tempore pestis, modo possit absque periculo vitae; cum eo non teneri docent Tann. Dian.," etc. If you have not had smallpox you certainly risk your life by going into the room of a smallpox patient, and the danger of infection is greater in typhus; but suppose a pastor were inclined to take advantage of the excuse, he would be obliged at any risk to go into such a room to hear confession or to baptise, and if he hears confession he may as well stay for the anointing.
If you anoint a patient that has confluent smallpox you probably can not wipe away the oil, because the skin will be pustular. Wipe the oil-stock carefully; then all cotton used should be wrapped in paper and burned in the paper before you leave the house. After anointing, you had better wash your hands carefully in water in which a bichloride of mercury tablet has been dissolved—do not use soap and do not put the bichloride in a metal vessel. Wash your hands thus before you leave the sick-room.
If the patient can receive the Viaticum let him lie on his back, and you should drop the Host into his mouth without touching him with your hand. St. Alphonsus says: "non licet tempore pestis porrigere Eucharistiam medio aliquo instrumento … sed manu danda est" There is no need of an instrument. If there are any crumbs left in the pyx make the patient take them. St. Alphonsus says this may be done, and it would be almost certain infection to take them yourself if you have not had smallpox recently. Let as little ablution water as possible be given to the patient.
When you leave the room, put the pyx, oil-stocks, corporal, and stole in a pan of water and boil them for ten minutes. This will disinfect them thoroughly and will not injure them in any way. Then take off the Hawes suit as near the street-door as possible and wet it with bichloride [{179}] solution. Wash your hands again in the bichloride solution and rinse off the bichloride; take the pyx, oil-stocks, corporal, and stole and leave immediately. Do not touch the door-knob when going out—let some one open the door for you—and do not shake hands with any one.