Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-01-29
pocToRlNe ROYAL PATIENTS.
Court Etiquette That Hedges in "A Queen
from Her Ply sician's Touch.

Court Etiquette That Hedges in Queen
from Her ply sician's Touch.
Il was a matter of wonder tn many
persons in Paris that DIR. Fauvel, the
great French specialist in throat diseases,
had not been summoned to attend the
King of Spain at the commencement Of
his malady, especially as Dr. Fauvel had
always attended Queen Isabella and her
children during their residence in Paris
for any troubles of that nature. But
such proceeding was forbidden by the
strict rules Of Spanish etiquette, which
prohibits one of the royal family of Spain
from being attended by any physician
who is not Spaniard by birth.
At the time of the last illness of the
young Queen Mercedes there resided in
Madrid a German doctor who was es-
pecially famed for his treatment of ty-
phoid fever, the disease from which the
queen was suffering. He had recently
saved the life of Mrs. X. Lowell when
she was suffering from a violent attack
If 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 10 pre-
scribe for their pa'irnt without seeing
her. This he pos lively refused To do,
saying that he must examine into the
physical condition of the queen before
prescribing for h,r. But that could by
no meaVs he peri lifted.
Then" he S. id. "let me merely see
her-let me go 10 the door of her room
and look at her without crossing the
threshold"
Even that concession was refused.
Then. gentlemen, he declared. Il can
do nothing. will not attempt to pre-
scribe for patient that | have not even
seem
He withdrew from the palace, and
few days later the young queen was dead.
But the sacred laws Of Spanish regal
etiquette had been preserved without in
fringement.
A similar affair, but with 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 bedside of one Of his
lady patients of the imperial family
nearer than ten feet. The empress grew
worse and became alarmingly i'll. The
Emperor Alexander gave orders that a
famous physician called Botkin, of whose
4. -. L. 4,
at once be sent for. Botkin came. and,
10 the horror of his colleagues. he walked
straight up to the bedside 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 improperly Of his conduct, being
told that his imperial patient was
TO be looked at from distance and that
he must not approach her. Botkin list
ened in silence TO all that the other doc
tors had 10 say. but when the report Of
he consultation was drawn uphe refused
% sign it. The emperor, who was ex-
eeedingly anxious respecting Botkin's
on noticing that the name of the new doc
tor did not appear in it he caused him to
he summoned at once TO his presence.
your ma jesty," quoth Botkin, frankly,
Il can not pretend to treat patient that
I am not permitted to examine. The
empress is, learn, in a very critical stu
alton. think can save her, but to do
% mnst be allowed to 20 to work in my
own way"
The emperor rose from his chair, took
DR.. Botkin by the arm and marched with
him into the sick-room of the empires and
straight up to her bedside. There, doc
tor" he said, examine your patient, and
il any one pretends to interfere with you
remember that you are obeying my COM
mands.r The course of treatment pre-
( SRibed by the great physician proved sue
cessful. The empress was saved and
that particular rule of imperial etiquette
was abrogated forever.-Mrs. Hoopers
Paris Letter.