Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-08
WILLIAMS DEFORMITY
How IL Originated and How 1t is Con-
cealed from View.
able special to the New York sun.

cable Special to the New York sun.
In Paris two days ago 1 talked about En-
peror William with friend whose fame as a
medical man is world wide and obtained for
your readers most interesting and definite in
formation as to the young rulers physical con-
dition. The information may be relied upon
as exac. beyond any question.
''Young William was unlucky in the first
place" said my friend, in having a princess for
a mother, and equally so in having been born
prince. Those two circumstances account for
his unhappy deformity. The usually accepted
accounts of its nature and origin are imagina-
tive rubbish. The Crown Princess Frederick
was, as IL generally known, travelling in an out
of-way place at a very indiscreet period. The
birth OF the present German emperor was I'M
expected, and he was helped into the world
BY some obscure little doctor with an
knowledge OF surgery. IL he had been
allowed to think that his patient was
simply an ordinary woman of strong physique,
all would probably have been well; but the fact
carefully impressed upon him that he had
in his hands the life of future queen, and the
child would, perhaps be heir to the Prussian
throne. This so demoraliZed the little doctor
that he added the strength of his own muscles
to the forces of nature and so severed all the
muscles of the infants left arm. When / was
the little boy saw at once that his case was
hopeless. If he had been a grocer's son. some
good doctor would have been called in. and
some sound method of cure adopted and fol-
lowed. As a prince, however, he had TO be
seen by every great doctor, no system was fol-
lowed out, and the worst possible result of the
accident ensued, namely, complete atrophy Of
the arm.
AN ARTIFICIAL ARM.
1T is wasted completely away, and is proba-
bly, smaller than when 1 examined him as
boy at Windsor. Fortunately. such wonderful
skill has been shown by the German surgeons
as to save him from the modification of having
it plainly seen that one of his arms is simply
the withered arm of child. The withered
limb Is padded out in most hfelike fashion,
and not only that, but within the padding is a
most wonderfully clever machine-a series of
strings and cords acting like the muscles of the
arm. These artificial muscles are connected
with the good muscles of the shoulder most
adroitly. so that while in natural condition
he would be incapable of moving his withered
arm. this most ingenious mechanism ena-
bles him to imparS to it movements that are
almost lifelike. He can raise or lower his arti-
fetal hand and use it sufficiently well to guide
carefully trained and broken chargers which
are selected for him."
THE KAIsER's EAR DISEASE.
THE emperor's deformity," said he, sis
nothing except as il mortiies and irritates an
extremely proud and sensitive man; but the
disease in his head is one which may have
most serious consequences for all Europe. 1t
may drive the emperor to the most extrava-
giant acts, or suddenly. by killing him, end the
speculation as to what his career may be.
/ can tell you positively that it already
makes him insane at intervals. He was insane
when he delivered certain speeches which his
advisers were compelled to revise and inter-
pref officially. He was mentally deranged by
his suffering and the direct effect of his malady
upon the brain. All the skill of the doctors
about him is concentrated to fight the disease
that is growing in his head. Once already it
has gone beyond the control of the doctors. and
the emperor suffered most dreadful attack.
all knowledge of which was carefully keptfrom
the public. When the disease reaches GER
tain point there will come an explosion. and
the emperor will either die or become hope
lessly insane.
Just what the disease is / will not say. Its
nature may be described as that of tumor and
an abnormal growth within the brain. The
skill of his physicians may fight off the final
stages of the disease for longer period than
at present seems probable, but there is very
little hope that they will be able to cure ii.
The young emperor is decidedly unlucky
man. Old Emperor William suffered. which is
not generally known. from form of epilepsy
and his grandson. who has inherited the
trouble, is also afflicted with fits epileptic in
character"