Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-10-27
The True story of NspoIeon's Sick
I ness.

| ness:
Paris tSept. 2s) Cor. New York Tribune.l
The telegraph announced lately that
the Emperor had taken carriage ride
and had been at the races in the Bois de
Boulogne. The imperialist journals in
Paris are in ecstacies at this, and would
fain have the public believe that the
health of Napoleon is completely re-es-
tablished; bnt the very exaggeration of
their expression of triumph reveals their
fears. The friends of the Empire know
we'll that these personal exhibitions of
the Emperor are to be attributed rather
to an energetic resolution rather than q
real convalescence. The medical de-
scription of his disease, published in the
Pspeil of Paris, corroboratss this opin-
ion. This analysis is the work of dis
tingpished fa.isian physician, who has
skiIfuliy cropped the scattered details,
and Nv scientiGo deduction has succeeded
in introducing diagnosis. the truth Of
which has startled and profoundly at
fected Imperialists.
The mother of Napoleon III, Hortense
de Beauharnsis, died of an internal can
Ger, and from her the Emperor received
this sad heritage. She was Of a lymphat-
ico-nervous temperament, and it is well
known that this temperament becomes
the source of serious Raaiedies, especially
when excesses of various kinds haye in
the course of life enfeebled the constita-
ton. The physical sufferiBgs of the En-
peror date from an early period. Before
the coup detat of 81 they had assumed
an alarming character, and bad taken
the form of fits, more or less violent, or
sciatical neuralgia, whose origin was
attributed, not without cause, to irrita,
tion of the spine Rumors circulated
among the more intimate personal at
tendants and friends of Prince Louis,
that these attacks msnlfested themselves
sometimes in q mannef ts cause the
greatest uneasiness, leaving 6 Eegeral
prostration of the nervous system as the
result. After the coup detdt these iDdi-
casions became still more painful, and
in 1859, oa The occasion OF the visit of
Napoleon to the Grand Duchess of Baden,
during the night which precessi 9 re-
view, be was seized with Reurslgic al
tack which rendered impossible the least
movement of bis limbs, end would Reces-
sarily have prevented his appearance at
the review. Not wishing to disturb sny
one in the palace nor to miss the review,
not even desiring to inform his attend.
ants of his sufferings, he determined to
remoye them without extraneous help
Against thess attacks be had often EN-
ployed with success . blister and a run
nipe cauterization along the l,pe of the
affected nsrye. BE now prepared .
blister ;n the following fashion:
He lighted o wax candle, and
applied The burning Same all
along the suffering nerve, sparing himself
SO little that at several PLACES the Hesh
was painfully burned. The remedy had
the desired result, and the next day, not
witkatsnding the pain from the burns, he
mounted bis horse and took part in the
review. Bots tina arrived when blisters,
cauterizstious and other reaedies united,
produced no longer any effect. fhsig
action failed before the force and progress
OF the saRlajy, Then hydropathy was
tried. The new tEsalpant succeeded for
some tine, aud delivered the patient from
a dyspepsia which had come to compG-
cate affairs. This relative good health
continued up to 1860 Until then 20 sp.
preciable trace OF disease revealed itself
10 the geniio-urinsry organs, beyond the
fact that they yere torpid and required
sometimes to be asiiacially excited. But
in 1860 new symptoms appeared, and
themselves principally on
this point. Some physicians feared the
development of diabetes; others, the
stone or the gravel At this stage The