Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-07-07
an EMPRESS PHYSICIAN.
How n Young Decor B~ecar
Czarina.s Fayorite Medical At'en""h''

Amono the most gay and popular
members of the Russian colony az
Nice s,ys the marquisc de Fontenoy
T., tba n Y. Recorder, is Mr.. Botklhe
tba son ~ fbe famous court physician
~ that name. who was the faVorlte
medical attendant of the late ezaTIha'
s curious story is told Of the circnm-
stances ybjrh led to his appointments
az court. The empress, besides peihg
aa9icted with consumption, was shnSI-
80 trom disease of the heart. Like
msnv other ipvalids. she was forever
convinced that the physicians III az
tendance failed to UNDERSTAND M
case. 4 state OF things u rather 10
fine extraordinary mOdesty Oh neL
majesty than to any ignorance on INC
mart of her doctors. For D Has ~
deyout and so extremely Pious that shs
could not be prevailed upon to Perlhl'
them To examine her chest IN Ihe VI
diuary manner.
Ever an She lookout for a physician
who could diagnose her case she
readily granted permission to one o.
her ladies-in-waiting to present hef 10
A and, at that time,
doctor named Botkine. lie came anu
created 4 most favorable impression
uuon her majesty until the moment
when he asked her to remove the
bodice of her dress in order TO enable
him to examine her chest. She at OhSS
refused to comply, and added ina an
the physicians who had attended her
until then had prescribed for her WIN
HNu
out requiring any such immodeSt dlS-
play.
"if vour majesty declines ! must re-
fuse either to prescribe or advise, re-
piled Botkine, with great dignity. III
Is impossible for any one to diagnose
the case without a thorough eXamIna-
ton" And before the astonished en-
press could utter q word he began
bowling himself out, and backed HIM
self almost into the arms Of Alexander
H., who was just entering.
Having heard from the ladies in the
| ,nte-chamber that a physician was with
his wife. the czar asked cheerily OF Or:
Botkine how he found the empress n
then perceiving the latter's disconcert-
ed look inquired what had happened.
The Young doctor replied that her
majesty had refused to permit him OF
any other physician to examine her
| chest in the customary manner, ana
that under the circumstances he could
not co~nscientiOusly either diagnose the
| case or prescribe for it.
Struck by the young mans indie
| pendence of character and language as
we'll as by his honesty and common
sense the car dismissed him in the
most kindly manner, with instruc-
| tions to call at the palace the follow
| ing day at noon. DR.. BOtkine made
| his appearance at the appointed time,
was received by the emperor and con
| Quoted by him to the czarina, who had
been in the meantime prevailed upon
by her husband to submit to the e1-
animation.
The remedy subsequently admin
istered by the young physician Afford
ed so much relief to the imperial patient
that ~thenceforth DR.. BotkiBe's fame
and fortune were made. The empress
would allow no n else to attend her.
| He acquired a most extraordinary in
fuence over her and remained with
her until her death al Nice. Subse-
quently he set up in private practice at
St. Petersburg. although retaining his
court appointment and the favor of the
imperial family.
His usual fee for a consultation wa
| 100 rubles. One day he was visited
by Prince DemidoT, who was as mean
and avaricious as he was rich. After
having prescribed the necessary
remedies DIR. BOtkinc noticed that
Prince DemidoG had extracted two B.
ruble notes from his pocketbook and
that he was about to tender them in
payment of the consultation. Thanks,
no. Nothing at all, my dear prince, "
he exclaimed in a most kindly and even
affectionate anncr you ought to
know that | never accept any fee at all
from the poor"