Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-05-08
The ILLNESS OF The POPE.

A letter to the New York World
dated Rome April 14th, gives the fol-
lowing details of the recent illness of
the Pope. 1t says: The facts connect
ed4with the first attack of illness and
its progress are these: On the 5th of
April, which was Saturday, he walked
in the garden Of the Vatican. The
weather was charming, and the Pope
seemed greatly to enjoy it, He spoke
of the benefit which he used TO ex-
perience when he was free in riding to
his villa outside the walls, and in
taking long walks along the road
For nearly three years-two years and
eight months-the venerable pontiff
has been deprived of this exercise and
change so beneficial to him. During
all this while he has been imprisoned,
seeing daily the same walls and the
same rooms, and only breathing the
the fresh airrand obtaining exercise in
the garden. On this day he walked
more than usual, and at1ength, feeling
fatlgued, and being quite warm, he
sat down upon bench. One Of his
attendants, young member of the
Noble Guard, begged the Pope not to
sit in the open air; it was growing
cold, and his Holiness might easily be-
come chilled. BE quiet child," said
the Pope, gayly; II am older than
you, and should know better what is
good for me. Eetsmet rest and enjoy
the sweet air. In a few moments,
however, he began to feel chilly; he
arose, saying to the young soldier,
"See, my child, how we are punished
for disregarding good advice. l have
already taken cold" In few hours
afterwards the Pope began to suffer;
he was attacked by very severe pains
in the loins and small of the back.
This continued, and developed into an
attack of rheumatic fever, accompa-
MED with complications of which I
shall presently speak. He suffered
severely during the 9th, It'll, 9Th, and
9th but on the morning of the 10th
CThursday) he experienced sudden and
great relief The pain had all left
him; he sat up; and he then became
anxious to again breathe some fresh
air. His bedroom is small and plain
chamber-plain, that is, for the Vatic-
an-far in the interior of that vast
maze Of palaces and it is no wonder
that the old man desired to once more
come out where he could see the sky
and breathe the fresh air. He was
not able to walk bit as he insisted
upon going in the garden, if his ply
stefan permitted, and as the physician
himself thought it would do his patient
good, litter was brought, and the
Pope was placed in it. He said to
those around him: ''Be tranquil; l am
better; by Gods help think have.
got over it. But the litter had been
carried only few yards when a Sc
we're spasm Of pain again seized him;
the smile fled from his face, and he ex.
claimed: "Ah, ! suffer-" His physic,
ian was at his side, and he ordered
the litter to be stopped. The Pope
continued his EXPLANATIONS of agony.
Presently, in very feeble voice, ne
said: 81 resign my wish; take me
back to bed" After he was again
placed in bed, he remained for two
hours without utteling a word, but
evidently suffering great pain. His
physicians, examining his. legs, found
them greatly swollen from the knees
downward, and Immediately after
ward acute inflammation Of these limbs
appeared. The first effect from this
inflammation was to almost to dry up
the accustomed discharge from the
issues on the legs; and this was looked
upon as a very grave symptom. The
Pope slept but little from that time
until Sunday night, when he fell into
that deep slumber of which l have
spoken. When he awoke from this
sleep he was apparently better, and it
is i'll this state that he is now.