The morning call., 1893-04-02
A PARALLEL CASE.
The Death of Elliott F.
Shepard.
An Incident Recalled Which Seems
to Acquit Shepard's Physicians
of Blame.
Written for THE MoRNINe CALL

The recent death of Colonel Elliott f.
Shepard of the New York Mail and Ex-
press under circumstances which seemed,
at the time, to reflect on the skill and dis
erection of his surgical attendants, wildly
recalls to my mind an incident which is SO
nearly parallel case that am surprised it
has escaped the attention of the newspapers
OF this country, and even, apparently, OF
England and France.
1t Is well understood that Colonel Elliott
F. Shepard died somewhat suddenly
while under the influence of ether admin
lstered in the presence of competent sur
geOns as preliminary TO an operation for
yesical calculus. 1t is stated in the dis
patches that Colonel Shepard had sus-
pected himself to be afflicted with this
complaint, aud had made arrangements in
secrecy for an exploration, and. if neces-
sary an operation. Further dispatches in
dictate that some time previously Colonel
Shepatds application for life policy was
rejected on the ground that the secretion
found in his kidneys indicated that he was
suffering from Bright's disease.
In the year 1873. on January 8, there died
at Camden Place, Chiselhurst. England, the
Emperor Napoleon III of France, under
conditions so closely analogous 10 those
OF Colonel Shepard that | may be par
doned for referring to them in some detail,
especially as biographies of the Emperor
give The facts in very meager fashion.
AT the time referred to | was a novice In
journalism and poor student of medicine
The London newspapers had received GER
tain intimations which caused the little
Kentish village of Chiselhurst, twelve miles
distant to be besieged by reporters. The
Emperor Napoleon III had been staying at
Camden Place, ChiSehurst, nearly year.
His son, the Prince Imperial, who was
| killed in Zululand in 1877, was then a cadet
at NoOlwich, seine ten or twelve miles from
ChiSelhurst. There was no cross-cOuntry
line, and TO so from the ore place TO the
o.her by rail entailed loss of three or four
hours time. / merely mention this fact as
explanatory OF one incident in the Emperor's
death.
The Prince Imperial was accustomed to
make frequent trips from WOolwch to Cam
den Place, ana those who knew" in the
London newspaper offices, said that the
Emperor was q doomed man. They pointed
out that for nearly year he had increas-
inely restricted MS promenade on the ter
race at Camden Place, and that it was &
matter Of common report that when he and
General Wmpffeu had the final chat before
the Sedan capitulntiOn the Emperor had to
be lifted off his horse, after enduring acute
physical pain for half a day.
DTs. COrvisart and COnneau, who were
at the Chiselhurst mimic Imperial court in
the last days Of 1872. had established con-
clusiveiy that the Emperor was suffering
from stone in the bladder. Of the soft or
phosphate kind. Such cases are usually
treated by crushing operation, known as
lithOtrity or lthotripsy, in preference to the
extraction by cutting into the bladder.
The Emperor underwent operations on
January and 3, 1873 and it was noticed in
each case that there was manifest ten
dency to sinking or heart failure. 1t was
the knowledge of this fact that caused the
knowing ones in London newspaper circles
to await the third sitting" on January s
with more than usual vigilance and anxiety.
II was my first assignment, II may use a
term familiar here but unknown over
there. Camden Place was barred to
reporters, but the adjacent villages OF
Bromley. Buckley, Sidcup and Chiselhurst
were full of newsgatherers. 1t WAS an
nounced that Sir Henry Thompson, the
great specialist in cases of calculus, would
be in attendance ut 10 A. II. At IL o'clock
the Emperor was dead.
His pulse, strong and full at the COM
mencement, suddenly failed, and, in fact,
death ensued before the crushing operation
had been actually commenced. He died so
quickly that there WAS only Just time to
send for the Empress and have the last rites
OF the Catholic church administered. The
Prince Imperial did not arrive from Wool
wich till all was over.
The autopsy disclosed the fact that death
was caused by heart clot. but that the
kidneys, ureterS and bladder were so ex-
tensively diseased that a fatal issue must
have ensued in any case.
There were present at the death DR.. lie
Baron COrvlsart, DIR. Conneau and Sir
Henry Thompson, representing the best
surgical skill of England and France. Not
the slightest imputa ton was conveyed that
there had been any negligence, or that the
fatal termination could have been prevented.