Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1892-01-02
THE POPE FAINTS.
At First It Was Thought He Was
Dead.
Indications That His End is Fast Approach-
ing-He is Suffering From Chronic
Intestinal Catarrh and From
,Senile An@mia.

LONDON, Dec. 24.-The Lancet's cor
respondent at Rome, who has, on q
number of former occasions given in
formation regarding the Pope's health,
which subsequently proved to be abb
solutely correct, telegraphs Wednesday
confirming rumor which has hereto
fore been treated doubtful, that his
Holiness was seized with fainting fit
after presiding at the last consistory.
1t was thought for time, the cor
respondent states, that death had su-
pervened but the strong efforts of the
physicians attached to the Vatican,
who were hastily summoned, suf-
feed 70 restore animation, and
the sufferer rallied, though hkl
condition remained critical fer ssss
FsisuTs 1siis faSS yiisE Fiia pcpe as.s.
tainted was kept a profound secret at
the time, in compliance with a standing
order, strictly imposed upon the per-
sonnel of the vatican, according to
which, even in the event of the pope 8
death, the fact is not to be divulged
until the cardinals present in Rome at
the time have completed certain acts
preliminary to the conclave which is to
choose the new pontitf. These acts are
prescribed by a secret bulletin lately
issued by the pope, and their exact ma
ture is not known.
Outside of the fact that the pope had
collapsed on the occasion referred to
gained currency, it was impossible to
obtain any confirmation of the story at
the Vatican; and for the same reason
the world will not learn authorita-
lively of the Pope's death until
some time after the event. Few be-
lieve that his holiness can survive
much longer The chronic intestinal ca
tarrh from which he has long suffered
is prone to take an acute turn during
such severely cold weather as that
which is now prevailing, while the
senile an@mia, which causes the doc.
tors greater anxiety than any other
symptom, is always more pronounced
after the aged pontiff has undergone
unusual eXertion, as in the case of the
consistorv. This being the case, Satur-
day next is looked forward to with
great apprehension, in view of the fact
that his holiness will again, on that
day, be subjected to strain which, in
his enfcebled condition, he is not fit to
bear.
The doctors complain that his holi-
ness is always enlarging his field of
work.-instead of confining his labors to
absolutely routine matters, as he ought
to do in order to conserve his strength.
One instance of this tendency was
furnished by his undertaking per-
sonally the arduous correspondence and
series of interviews involved in organ
izing the foreign hierarchy for the pur-
pose of holding a council of bishops
of all countries every year, at which the
temporal and spiritual welfare of the
various peoples may be considered
from the view point Of the church uni-
versal. The only way to account for
the pope's persistent disregard of med
ical advice on these subjects is to as
sumo that he regards his course as
nearly run, and is resolved to literally
die in the harness. occupied to the last
moment in Jealous exercise of such fac
ulties as are vouchsafed him.