The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-02
His Holiness Submits to a Serious
Surgical Operation.
CAUSE OF HIS ILLNESS
SURGEONS REMOVE A CYST OF
LONG STANDING.
Bore the Operation Remarkably Well
and His Condition Is Satisfactory
-Joked With the Surgeons and
Exhibited Remarkable Courage
Suffered Great Pain.
Rome. March The following official

| Rome. March 1.-The following official
| bulletin has been issued:
His holiness underwent an operation
at 10 o'clock this morning for the removal
! of long-standing cyst, which suddenly
| became infiamed. His holiness bore the
operation remarkably well, although it
was impossible to use chioroform. The
pope's condition is now fairly satisfac-
| tory"
| 1t appears that yesterdays feverish
| symptoms were entirely due to the cyst,
! from which the pope mas long suffered
! He now has no tract of fever, and Dr.
| Mazzoni thinks no complications Will en-
/ sue.
! Strict measures have been taken to ex-
| clude outsiders from the vatican. Some
| of the morning papers asserted that the
! pope was suffering from rheumatic fever
! following a chill and that it was feared
| pleurisy would superyene.
The pope yesterday desired that the cyst
be simply lanced, but he consented to its
| removal on the doctors insisting upon the
point The pope, as this dispatch Is sent.
has just partaken of eggs, biscuits and
Marala wine.
DR.. Lapponi will again sleep at the vat
ican. During the operation the pope
asked his private chaplain, Father Angel,
to say mass. After the surgeons had
completed their task, he was IN excellent
spirits and even joked with them. His
holiness slept two hours during the day.
At 6 o'clock Drs. Mazzoni and Lapponi
caused by the operation had so far abated
as to allow his holiness to lie on his back.
At that hour his temperature was lower
and his general condition satisfactory:
The cyst removed was about the size of
an orange.
During Dr. Mazzonfs visit the pope
asked him how many female patients
We're accommodated at the hospital of st:
John. of which DR.. Mazzoni is the chief
surgeon, and he inquired regarding the
work done at the hospital by the Sisters
of Mercy. He begged Dr. Mazzonf 10 IN
form the sisters that he blessed them
knowing that they were praying for him
and his recovery.
Unless complications, of which there is
no apprehension, should set in, DR.. MAJ
Zoni will not return to the vatican until
tomorrow morning.
According to Italie. his holiness suf-
fered great pain during the operation, and
remarked afterward to his doctor:
understand now the seriousness of my
Illness. You must have had great courage
to operate upon an old man like myself.
The hematic cyst had been forming,
sons present at the operation were DR..
Mazzoni and DR.. Lapponi, who assisted
and DR.. Pho Contra, the pope's personal
attendant. At half past his holiness
was carried on q litter to a window OF his
apartment. Smiling, he said to the doc
tors, DO you want TO play these tricks
on me at my age?" Then he lay down
composediy on his right side. Although
the courage which the patient displayed
gave the doctors courage, they feared 10
use chloroform and used instead liquid
anaesthetic, consisting of cocaine. chic
ride of sodium and morphia-
Owing to the size of the growth the ex-
cision occupied some time, but DR.. MAJ
zoni quickly traced the extent of the
growth. and the actual operation lasted
twelve minutes. The pope displayed great
fortitude. After the bandaging he was
carried back to the bed and, once the
feeling of faintness due to the shock and
loss Of blood had passed away, he. ap-
peared quite calm. The fever quickly
subsidized, confirming the diagnosis Of the
doctors.
The physicians, according to Italie, are
anxious about the weakening effects Of
the dysentery but ii the pope has a good
night there is every reason, in their judg-
ment, to look for rapid recovery.