The Refractoriness of the Apothecaries, Druggists, and Grocers, in absenting themselves from the City, and the Necessity of compelling them to return, that the Sick may be supplied with Medicines and Drugs, oblige him to send Guards into the Territory, to seize and bring away the chief of them.
The 26th, the Hospital of Timber-work in the Alleys of the Grand Mall, and which so many Poor infected, who lie in the Streets and publick Places, have been wishing for several Days, is upon the Point of being finished, after incredible Labour; when a North Wind, the most violent that ever was, blows so hard, that it breaks and throws down almost all the Timber-work, with the Sail-cloth that covered it: For repairing speedily this Damage, M. de Langeron goes thither, sends for robust and serviceable Fellows from the Gallies, with Officers to keep them diligently employed; the Sheriffs bestir themselves to provide more Timber and Sail-cloth; all Hands are at Work; the Chevalier de Soissans keeps upon the Spot, to encourage the Men, and give Orders, accompanied by M. Marin and Beaussier, Commissaries appointed to act as Directors General of this Hospital, who sacrificed their Time and private Concerns to see it built, were always active in any thing that was most toilsome; and the principal Assistants of the Sheriffs, from the Time the Fear of the Contagion made every body abandon them.
The 27th, it is considered, that as large as this Hospital is, it cannot serve for such a Multitude of Sick, as are lying in all the Streets, and encreased daily by the Continuance of the Distemper; and therefore another must be timely thought of: After looking about every where, it is resolved to make use of the Hospital General de la Charité, which is in perfect Readiness, actually furnished with near 800 Beds, and all necessary Utensils.
The Difficulty is, whither to remove the Poor maintained in it: No Place seems so proper as the Hôtel-Dieu, where there is Room enough; but there have been infected Patients in it, and above fifty are so now; they must be first removed, and the House disinfected (or perfumed;) those Patients are carried to a Chapel of the Penitents, which is hard by; and M. Estelle performs the Disinfection with all requisite Exactness.
From the 28th of September to the 3d of October, nothing but Action and Labour Night and Day. At the Mall no Time is lost to repair the Damage done by the Wind, and to provide for such an Hospital the infinite Number of Things necessary in it; in fitting up Apartments and Laboratories for the Physicians, Apothecaries, Surgeons, Officers, and Servants of the Hospital, in the Convent of the Reformed Augustines, which is contiguous to it, and in the neighbouring Bastides; and in digging near it large and deep Pits: At la Charité, those already opened in the Garden of the Observantines are just behind it; but for that Hospital, it was found to require more Trouble than the other to provide it with all Necessaries. The Pains taken to disinfect the Hôtel-Dieu, remove from thence the infected Patients, and bring into it all the Poor from la Charité, are inconceivable: M. de Langeron is obliged to be on Horseback from Morning to Night, moving from Place to Place; the Sheriffs give themselves no Respite, but shorten the common Time of Meals, that they may not lose a Moment. Every thing is hard to be got, even Straw to stuff the Mattresses, which no body will bring in from the Territory, without being compelled to it by Force. Officers and Servants must be sought for all these Hospitals; especially a great Number of Surgeons must be had, both Masters and Men; they cannot be drawn hither from other Provinces, but by exorbitant Rewards; Advertisements are affixed every where, promising to all Surgeons who will come, viz. to Master-Surgeons of Principal Towns 2000 Livres a Month; to the licensed Surgeons of those Towns, and the Master-Surgeons of small Places 1000 Livres a Month; and to their Apprentices, or Journeymen, 300 Livres a Month, with the Freedom of the Company of Surgeons of Marseilles; besides Lodging and Diet all the time they are employed.
The 3d of October, Part of the Troops which M. de Langeron expected for the Service of the City, and to execute his Orders, arrive; viz. Three Companies of the Regiment of Flandres, whom he causes to encamp at the Chartreuse without the Walls.
The 4th, the two new Hospitals at the Mall and la Charité, are, at length, in a Condition to receive the Sick; and immediately they creep thither from all Quarters. A Number of Gally-Slaves is employed to fetch those who cannot help themselves, and are lying in the publick Places and Streets, and in the Houses.
The 5th, all the Physicians, as well Strangers, as of Faculty in this City, are convened at the Town-House, in the Presence of M. de Langeron, the Marquess de Pilles, and the Sheriffs; and M. de Chicoyneau and Verny, as Principals, and those others to whom the general Inspection is committed, appoint the Stations where each shall serve, and the Surgeons to be employed under them. If all the Strangers have signalized themselves by their Skill and Zeal, those of the City have equall'd them in both; they have served with so little Care of their own Persons, that three of them have lost their Lives, M. Peissonel, Montagnier, and Audan, and a fourth, Mr. Bertrand, was very near Death's Door.
The 6th, three of the Captains of the City dying, the Sheriffs nominate in their Room M. Desperier, Bonnaneau, and Icard, who from the Beginning of the Contagion have voluntarily gone upon any Service, however toilsome and hazardous, for the City.
The 7th, the Plague being more violent in the Territory than in the City, and it being of Importance to hinder the Sick to come from thence into it; M. de Langeron posts at each Gate a Corps de Garde of Soldiers of the King's Troops, under the Command of the Captains and Officers of the Town; and publishes an Ordinance, which prescribes the Rules to be observed at any Person's coming into, or going out of the Gates.