Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-05-05
THE CROWN PRINCE.
THR ORIGIN OF HIS DISLIKE FOB HIS
MOTHERS PEOPLE.
Connected With a Lifelong Dsiurmity-How His
Arm was Shortened-An Accident at
Brth-Rrglish Physicians Blamed
Gsasral POrsign News

NEW YORK, May 4.1There will appear
in this weeks issue of the Medical Record,
which has given the subject of the late
Emperor William and the present German
Emperor's illness more than ordinary at
tention, an account Of Crown Prince Will
liam and the causes to which are due his
crippled arm.
1.-THE present difficulty of the Crown
Prince William" says the Record, dates
from his birth, when fracture of the left
arm occurred, which resulted in the men,
Der being about two inches shorter than
the other, and has given rise to the
stories Of his being afflicted with scrofula.
Prior to the birth of her child the Crown
Princess was seriously iii, and her mother,
Queen Victoria, despatched from London
to Eog>ish obstetricians to attend her.
These physicians found themselves unable
to cope with the difficulty that presented
and then arrived ths necessity for con.
sultation.
A messenger was despatched for Prof.
Martin, the elder, since dead, who at the
time was high in the circles Of the court
and president of one of the universities.
Piqued at the introduction of the English
man in the case, the eminent scientist re-
turned this answer "If / was not able 10
attend to the Crown Princess in the first
place am not able to do it now."
Informed by this brusque reply Of
Prof. Martin, Emperor William, at that
time King of Prussia, issued an imperial
edict, Ordering the obdurate physician to
attend the Crown Princess. Such a sum-
mons had to be obeyed. Prof. Martin
went to the Palace. He was conducted
into the presence of the Crown Princess,
where were the two English obstetricians
Saluting the Crown Prince, who was in the
apartment, the German physician silently
gave his attention to the royal mother,
overcame the difficulty that had puzzled
the London DOCTORS placed the newborn
infant in the arms of nurse, bowed stif fly
to the two professional men from England
and retired from the apartment without
utterins word.
When the little FRINGE was three or
four days old it was discovered that his
left arm was fractured short distance
from the shoulder. Who broke il? Did
tie accident occur through the agency Of
Prof. Martin or while the babe was in the
care of its English attendant.? That ques-
tiOn has never been answered-probably
never will be.
''The fracture Of a newly born infants
arm ia not an unusual occurrence, and it
not regarded in the medical profession as
serious or attended by great danger. 10
this case, however, when the bones knit
the left arm of the Prince was shorter than
the right and it has ever since 20 remained.
There can be no wonder at the deep
rooted prejudice in the Princes mind
against what he naturally considers the
interference of foreign, particularly Eng
lish, doctors in the case of his father
Whenever he glsnces down at his shortened
left arm there must occur to him the
thought that but for the meddlipg in his
case 1t might have been as perfect as he is
in every other particular"