The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-01-29
DoctOring Royal Patients.
Mrs. Hooper's Paris Letter.

From Mrs. Hooper's Paris Letter.
1t was a matter of wonder to many
persons in Paris that DR.. Fauvel, the
great French specialist in throat dis
eases, had not been summoned to at
tend the king of Spain at the COM
mencement Of his malady, especially
as DR.. Fauvel had always attended
Queen Isabella and her children during
their residence in Paris for any troub-
les Of that nature. But such q pro-
ceeding was forbidden by the strict
rules of Spanish etiquette, which pro-
hibits one of the royal family of Spain
from being attended by any physician
who is not q Spaniard by birth.
At the time of the illness Of the
young Queen Mercedes there residedin
Madrid a German doctor who was es-
pecially famed for his treatment Of
typhoid fever, the disease from which
the queen was suffering. He had re-
Gently saved the life of Mrs. j. r. Low.
ell who was suffering from a violent
attack OF that terrible malady. Anew
days before Queen Mercedes breathed
her last her Spanish doctors sent for
their German colleague and requested
him to prescribe for their patient with
out seeing her. This he positively re-
fused to do, saying that he must ex-
anime the physical condition of the
queen before prescribing for her. But
that could by no means be permitted.
Then" he said, 'l2t me merely see
her-let me 60 to the door ofherroom
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 q patient that l have
not ever SEEN"
He withdrew from the palace, and a
few days later the young queen was
dead. But the sacred laws of Spanish
regal etiquette had been preserved
without infringement. A similar
affair, but with adifferent denoument,
took place a good many years ago in
Russia. The late c~zarina, the mother
Of the present emperor of Russia, was
shortly after her marriage attacked
with serious affection of thestomach.
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 named
Botkin, of whose skill in such
cases he had heard should at
once be sent for. Botkin came, and to
the horror of his colleagues he walked
straight up to the bedside of the EN-.
press and took hold of her wrist to
feel her pulse. He was instantly hur-
ried from the room and as loudly re-
monstrated with on the improperly
ofhis conduct, being told that his i'm.
perial 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 no
ticing the name of the new doctor did
not appear in it, he caused him to be
summoned at once to his presence.
Your Majesty" quoth Botkin,
frankly, 81 can not pretend to treat a
patient that / am not permitted to
examine. The empress is, / learn, in
a very critical situation, think ]
can save her, but to do SO / must DC
allowed to go 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 empress and straight up to her
bedside. ''There, DOCTOR" he said,
examine yonr patient, and if anyone
pretends to interfere with yor remem-
Der that you ara obeying my COM
mands." The ourse of treatment
prescribed by the great physician
proved successful. The empress was
saved and that particular rule OF i'm
perial etiquette was abrogated forever.