The Opelousas courier., 1886-03-06
ROYALTY'S DOCTORS,
Etiquette Which May Have
Cost q Queens Life.
How a Russian Rule Was Broken and an
Empress Was Saved.

Lucy Hooper in on 81 of her recent Paris
letters says: It was a matter of wonder
to many persons that DR.. Fauvel, the
great French specialist in throat diseases,
had not been summoned to attend the
King of Spain at the commencement of
h1s malady, especially as DIR. Fauvel had
always attended Queen Isabella and hey
children during their residence in Paris
for any troubles of that nature. But
such a 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 a Spaniard by birth.
At the time of the last illness of the
young Queen Mercedes there resided in
Madrid a 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 a violent attack of
that terrible malady. A few days before
Queen Mercedes breathed her last her
Spanish doctors sent for their German
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 condi-
ton 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 go to the door of her room
and look at her without crossing the
| Threshold
Even that concession was refused.
"Then. gentlemen" he declared, II
can do nothing. l will not attempt to
prescribe for a patient that | have not
even SEEN"
He withdrew from the palace, and a
few days later the young Queen was dead.
But the sacred laws of Spanish regal Ell
quette had been preserved without in
| fringement. A similar affair, but with a
different denouement, took place a good
many years ago in Russia. The late
Czarina, the mother of the present Emper-
or of Russia, was shortly after her mar
rage attacked with a serious affection of
the stomach. Up to that time no physi-
clan could approach the bedside of one
of his lady patients of the Imperial fami-
~ 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 skill in such cases he had hearda
! should at once be sent for. Botkin came,
and, to 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 loudly demonstrated
with on the improperly of his conduct,
being told that his imperial patient was
to be looked at from a 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 not appear in
it he caused him to be summoned atrorce
to his presence.
.Your Majesty" quoth Botkin, frank
", II can not pretend to treat a patient
that / am not permitted to examine. The
Empress is, I learn, in a very critical stu
alton. I think | can save her, but to do
so / must be allowed to go to work in my
own way.n
The Emperor rose from his chair, took
DIR. Botkin by the arm and marched with
him into the sickroom 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 that you are obeying my
commands" The course of treatment
prescribed by the great physician proved
successful. The Empress was saved and
that particular rule of imperial etiquette
was abrogated forever.