Birmingham state herald., 1897-04-04

rscrofulous baby with gathering" in its ear may know that even in palaces they are not always happy. for this inn perial baby was just like hers as to this one affiiction. But this scrofulous dis ease is one of the most virulent scourges of humanity, for it assails the bones and thus reaches the deeper tis- sues that are part of the essential vital organs.
 In the emperor's case there have been several times apparent mitigations of this evil. with corresponding aggrava- tions at other times. At one period it was officially announced that he had had no trouble for four years. But in the spring of 1892 he had so bad a time with it that it was then reported he was insane
 There Is another element of uncer- tainty that may any day develop into an event which will startle the world. It is not possible to charge Empress Frederick with the responsibility for the stories, but 1t is certain that ever since she last went tos London people in high English society who are in a way of meeting her and her intimates have been passing the whispered word around that the kaiser is quite wrong in the head. and that the question of his retirement, for time at least, and the creation of a regency under his brother Henry has been discussed in- formally by the imperial cabinet.
 There are the same stories in Berlin and even more of them at the minor German capitals, but they are all ear marked with a dislike of the kaiser rather than with exact information. There is, however. ground for saying that William has been exceptionally ec- centric on several public occasions lately.
 No Hohenzolern afflicted with an in- disease is allowed to ascend the throne, or, if so afflicted after corona tion, to remain on the throne.
 The present emperor'S granduncle. Frederick William " of Prussia. the brother of the first Emperor William of Germany. whose centenary was recently celebrated. was deposed for this reason in 1858.
 Knowledge of this rule is said to have aggravated the ailment, whatever it is. from which the present emperor is re- ported to be suffering.
 The talk of deposing him has reached such point that Prince Henry of Prussia. the emperor's brother, has been spoken of for regent, according to the dispatches. and an advisory council has been suggested to consist of the rulers of the several German states. =.
 No more splendid specimen of phys ical manhood probably ever trod the earth than William IFS father, the Elm peror Frederick. They who saw him on any grand occasion. as upon the queens jubilee, could easily forgive the common German people if they accept ed the theory that such a man as he was might be a cousin of the gods. And Williams mother, the daughter of Queen Victoria. was at least a woman of sound health. for. though the Co., burgs have defects enough. they are physically fairly sound.
 T William. the son of such a father and such. a mother, might have been ex- pected to possess at his birth the or dinary human assortment of fully formed arms and legs and to have the ordinary health of a well born baby He had, however. with two good legs. only one good arm, the other being what the people call a "withered arm" This defect was not due to injury, but to arrested development, and that ar- rest of development was due to a com