Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1892-04-14
D0cTOKED AN EMPRESS.
How . Young Physician ACQUIRED
q Royel Patient.
Through his Independence He Becam
the Favorite Medical Attendant Of
the Cxarina OF RrasIa and Gained
Fame and Fortune.

.r lgr 49, NJ
Among the most gay and popular
members Of the Russian colony at
Nice, a y the New York Recorder, is
Mr.. Botkine, the son of the famous
court physician of that name, who was
the. favorite medical attendant of the
late czarina. !.
A curious story Is told,of the circum-
stances which led to his appointment at
court. The empress, besides being af-
flicted with consumption, was suffering
from disease of the heart. Like. many
other invnlids,,. she was forever CON-
WINGED that the physicians in attendance
failed to understand her case, n state of
things due rather to the extraordinary
modesty OF. her majesty than TO any igno-
rance on the part of her doctors, For
she was, 81 devout and so extremely
pious that she could not, be prevailed
upon, to permit them to- examine her
chest in the ordinary manner
Ever on the look out for a physician
who could diagnose her, case, she readi5
ly granted permission to one of her Ia
dics+in,waiting to present cher to n
Young and, atNthat time, unknown doc
tor named Dotkine.i. lie came and Gre
ated a most favorable impression upon
her majesty until the moment when he
asked her to remove the bodice of her
dress in order to enable him tocxaminc
her chest. She. ct once refused-t to COM
ply, and added that all the physicians
who had attended her until then had
prescribed. for her without requiring
any such immodcSt display. 81
az "lf"your majesty declines I must re-
fuse either to prescribe or advise" ~ re-
Piled B~otlzinc, with great dignity. ut
is impossible for anyone to diagnose the
case without n thorough examination"
And before the astonishcd empress
could utter n word he began bowling
himself out, and backed himself almost
into the arms OF Alexander H.. who
was just entering. = T. % .n
Having heard from the ladies' in the
ante-chamber" that Il physician was
with his wife, the car asked cheerily
pf Or BQtllipe how he fouud the empress,
and'thcn pcrccivinT the l~atter's diS5con-
certed look inquired what had hap
pened. The young doctor r~epliedithat
her majesty had refused to permit;him
or any other physician to examine. her
chest in the customary manner, and
that underline circumstances he could
no con&cientiously either diagnose the
case on prescribe for it. ..a
Struck by the young mans indie
pendence of character and language as
"+cll as by his honesty and common
'elnse the car dismissed him in, the
most kindly manner. with instructions
10 call at the palace the followingday
atnoon. DIR. Botlline made his appeal
ance at the appointed time, was re-
coived by the emperor and conducted by
him to the c%zarina, who had been in the
meantime prevailed upon by her.hus-
band to submit to the examination.
The remedy, subsequently, admins
tered by the young physician afforded
SO much relief to the imperial patient
that thenceforth DR.. B~otxine's fame and
fortune were made. The empress
would allow no one else to attend her.
Hu acquired Il most extraordinary infu-
ence over her and remained with her
until her death ut Nice. Subsequently
he set up in private practice ut st.
Petersburg, although retaining his
court appointment and the favor; Of the
imperial family.
His usual fee for a consultation was
one hundged rubles. One day he was
visited by Prince Demidoff, who was as
mean and, avagicious as he was rich,
After having prescribed the necessary
rcmedies DIR. Botkfno noticed that
Prince Demidoff had extracted two
tiyc-ruble notes from his pocketbool
apd that he was about to tender then
in, payment of the consultation
Thanks, no. Nothing at ali, my dea,
prince,% he exclaimed, in a most kindly
n atfeetiopate manner. You ough'
tp ls~soM,th that l neveE accept any fee a
all from the poor" .....l.