The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-05
PRINCE WILLIAMS CRIPPLED ARM.
It Was Broken at Birth by a Doctor WI
Kept the Secret to Himself.

It Was Broken at Birth by Doctor Who
Kept the Secret to Himself
New YORK, May 4.-There will appear in this
weeks issue Of the Medical Record, which has
given the subject of the late Emperor Williams
and the present German Emperor's illness more
than ordinary attention. an account Of the
Crown Prince William and the causes to which
are due his crippled arm. twill 60 far toward
disabusing people of the belief that Prince Will
lam is afflicted with anv disease of ecrofulous
nature, reports to that effect having recently
been sent to English and American papers from
Berlin. The authority for the Record story is q
physician who attended the gymnasium with
the Crown Prince William. and Doctor Shrady
says his information is entirely trustworthy.
The story is as follows:
''The present difficulty Of the Crown Prince
William dates from his birth, when a fracture
OF the left arm occurred which resulted ia that
member being about two inches shorter than
the other, and has given rise 10 the stories OF
his being afflicted with scrofula. Prior to the
birth of her child, Empress Victoria, the then
Crown Princess. was seriously i'll, and her
mother. Queen Victoria dispatched from Lon
don two English obstetricians to attend her.
These physicians found themselves unable to
cope with the difficulty that presented itself,
and then arrived the necessity for a consulta-
Martin, the elder, since dead who at the time
was high in the circles of the court and presi-
dent of one of the universities. Piqued ct the
introduction OF the Englshmen In the case, to
the exclusion of those of the fatherland the
eminent scientist returned this answer: IF was
not able to attend to the Crown Princess
in the first place. am not able to do it now
/ n formed of this brusque reply of Prof Martin,
Emperor William, at that time King of Prus-
STA. issued an imperial edict ordering the obdu-
rate physician to attend the Crown Princess
Such summons had to be obeyed. Prof; Mar
tin went to the palace. He was conducted into
the presence of the Grown 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 a nurse bowed
| stiffiy to the two professional gentlemen from
| England. and retired from the apartment with
| out utteripg word.
Here was the spectacle of proud scientific
man who would not unbend for royalty He
| had performed his duty in taciturn manner it
| is true, but that was ali. Professor Martin was
| dismissed from 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'll Did the
| accident occur through the agency of Professor
Martin, or while the babe was in the care of its
| English attendentsi That question has never
| been answered, and probably never will be.
1 ne OOctOr VINO Dfoko Tue arm Ielt the snap or
| the infantile bone. From the nature OF things,
| he would keep the news to himself, fearing to
| have il known that to him belonged the blame.
| The fracture OF q newly-born infants arm is not
an unusual occurrence. and it is not regarded IN
| the medical profession 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 re-
manned so.
1T has been stated st different times that
| Prince Williams eyes were bad Had this been
| the case be could never have passed through
the ey mnasium. Whom he graduated the young
| prince. though bright aud possessed Of a thor
| oueh education, yet stood No. IL in tbs class.
This shows the impartiality Of the German pro-
| fessors in dealing with students Of the royal
blood. From this story there be no wonder
Of the deep-rooted prejudice in the Princes
| mind against what he naturally considers the in
tsrference of foreign, particularly English. doc
| tors in the case Of his father Whenever he CLAN.
! ees down ~ his shortened left arm there must