Wichita eagle., 1888-05-05
FREE FROM SCROFULA.
The Accident That Shortened the German
Crown Princes left arm.

NEW 1otk,- Nay 81 mere VIII appear
in this weeks issue of the Medical Record,
which has given the subject of the late
Emperor Williams and the present Ger
man emperor's illness more than ordinary
attention, an account of Crown Prince
William and the causes to which are due
his crippled arm. 1t will go far towards
disabusing the people of the belief that
Prince William is afflicted with any dis
ease OF scrofulouS nature, reports to that
effect having recently been sent to the
English and American papers from Berlin.
Authority for the story is the physician
who attended the gymnasium with Crown
Prince William, and Dr. Sheady says his
information is entirely trustworthy. The
story is as follows:
1.-The present difficulty of Crown Prince
William tdates from his birth, when a
fracture of the left arm occurred, which
resulted in that member being about two
inches shorter than the other, and has
given rise to the story of his being afflicted
with scrofula. Previous to the birth of
her child, Empress Victoria, then crown
princess, was seriously i'll and her mother,
Queen Victoria. despatched from London
two English obstetrecians to attend her
IutSc physicians lOuUu UlleIllSelFGS uUdDle
to cope with the difficulty that presented
itself, and there arrived the necessity for
consultation, when a messenger was dis
patched for Professor Martin, the elder
(since dead who at the time was high in
circles of court and president of one of the
universities. Piqued at the introduction
of Englishmen in the case, aud the exclu
sion of those of the Fatherland, the emf
nent scientist returned this answer: If |
was not able TO attend to the crown prin-
cess in the first place, | am not able to
do SO now Informed of this
brusque reply of Professor Martin, Emperor
William, at that time king of Prussia,
issued an imperial edict ordering the OBJ
durate physician to attend the crown
princess. Such a summons had to be
obeyed. Professor Martin went to the
palace He was conducted into the pres
ence of the crown princess, where were the
two obstetricians. Saluting the crown
princess, who was in the apartment, the
German physician silently gave his atten-
ton to the royal mother, overcame the
difficulty that had puzzled the London
doctors, placed the new born babe in the
hands of a nurse, bowed stif1ly to the
prince and professional gentlemen from
England and retired without uttering a
word.
Here was the spectacle of proud scien-
tific man who would not unbend for roy
atty. He had performed his duty in a
taciturn manner, it is true, but that was
all. Professor Martin was dismissed from
the court.
When the little prince was three or
four days old it was discovered that his
left arm was fractured short distance
from the shoulder. Who broke it? Did
the accident occur through the agency of
Professor Martin or while the babe was in
ha aofi oh
question has never been answered and
probably never will be- The doctor who
broke the arm felt the snap of the infantile
bone, and from the nature of things he
would keep the news TO himself, fearing to
have it known that to him belonged the
blame. The fracture of newly born
infants arm is not an unusual occurrence,
and it is not regarded in the medical pro-
fession as serious, or attended by great
danger. In this case, however, when the
bones knit the left arm of the prince was
shorter than the right, and it has ever
since remained so.
1T has been stated at different times
that Prince Williams eyes were bad. Had
this been the case he could never
have passed through the gymnasium
When he graduated, the young prince,
though bright and possessed of a thor
ough education, yet stood number seven
teen in the class. This shows the impair
tlailty OF German professors IN dealing
with student Of royal blood"
From this story there can he no wonder
at the deep rooted prejudice in the princes
mind against what he naturally considers
interference of foreign, particularly Eng
lish doctors, in case OF his father and
whenever he glances down at his shortened
left arm, there must occur to him the
thought that but for meddling in his case
1t might have been as perfect As he is in |
every other particular.
BERLIN, May A bulletin issued this |
morning says: The emperor was free !
from fever this morning and was able 10
rise. His strength is gradually increasing. |
No further bulletins will be issued unless |
he relapses."