The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-03-04
Doctoring Royal Patients.

1t was o matter of wonder to many
persons in Paris that DIR. Fauvel, the
great French specialist in throat dis
the King of Spain at the commence
ment of his malady, especially as DR..
Eauvel had always attended Queen Isa-
bella and her children during their resi-
dence in Paris for any troubles of that
nature. But such proceeding was for
hidden by the strict rules of Spanish
etiquette. which prohibits one of the
royaI family of Spain from being at
tended by any physician who is not a
Spaniard by birth.
At the time of the last illness of the
young Queen Mercedes there resided in
Madrid German doctor who was espe-
cially famed for his treatment of typhoid
fever, the disease from which the Queen
was suffering. He had recently saved
the life of Mrs. J. r. Lowell when she
was suffering from Il violent attack of
that terrible malady. A few days be-
fore Queen Mercedes breathed her last
her Spanish doctors sent for their Ger
man colleague and requested him to
prescribe for their patient without seeing
her. This he positively refused to do,
saying that he must examine into the
physical cond. ION of the Queen before
prescribing for her. But that could by
no means be permitted.
Then" he said, ..let me merely see
her-let me 90 to the door of her room
and look at her without crossing the
threshold"
Even that concession was refused.
''Then, gentlemen" he declared, 81
can do nothing. | will not attempt to
prescribe for patient that | have not
even seen"
He withdrew from the palace, and g
few days later the young Queen was
dead. But the sacred laws of Spanish
regal etiquette had been preserved with
out Infringement. A similar affair, but
with a different denouement, took place
good many years ago in Russia. The
late Czarina, the mother of the present
Emperor of Russia. was, shortly after
her marriage, attacked with serious
affection of the stomach. Up to that
time no physician could approach the
beside of one of his lady patients of the
imperial family nearer than ten feet.
The Empress grew worse and became
alarmingly ILL. The Emperor Alexan-
der gave orders that a famous physician
called Botkin, of whose skill in such
cases he had heard, should at once be
sent for. Botllin came, and, to the hor-
ror of his colleagues, he walked straight
up to the beside of the Empress and
took hold of her wrist to feel her pulse.
He was instantly hurried from the room
and was loudly demonstrated with on
the impropriety of his conduct, being
told that his Imperial patient was to be
looked at from distance, and that he
must not approach her, much less touch
her Botkin listened in silence to all
that the other doctors had to say, but
when the report of the consultation was
drawn up he refused to sign it. The
Emperor, who was exceedingly anxious
respecting Botkin's opinion, sent at
once for the report, and on noticing
that the name of the new doctor did
net appear in il he caused him to be
summoned at once to his presence.
''Your Majesty" quoth Botkin, frank
", 81 can not pretend to treat a patient
that | am not permitted to examine.
The Empress is, learn, in very criti-
cal situation. [ think L can save her,
but to do so | must be allowed to go to
work in my own way"
The Emperor rose from his chair,
took DR., Botkin by the arm and march
ed with him into the sick-room of the
Empress and straight up to her bedside.
There, Doctor" he said, examine
your patient, and if any one pretends to
interfere with you remember you are
obeying my commands" !" The course
of treatment prescribed by the great
physician proved successful. The En-
press was saved. and that particular
rule of Imperial etiquette was abrogated
forever.-Mrs. Hooper's Paris Letter IN
the Philadslphia Telegraph.