The evening times., 1899-04-20
Explains the Surgical Opera
tion Upon His Holiness.
Not One That Placed the P0ntiff S
Life in Danger.
Performed With Swiftness and Pre-
cisiOn and without the Use
Of ChlOrOfOrm.

weakness Is relative term-a term
| that would represent in a man possessing
| the full vigor of physiological functions or,
in common pariance, perfect health, a
lowering of the ordinary standard. di-
| minution Of arterial tension, the pulse be-
ing either small and rapid or small and
slow; the wis a tergo' Of the circulation
is almost always diminished and the
emunctories, although doing their work.
do 1t slowly. There are at times pallor
and a feeling OF exhaustion. This form
OF weakness may become accentuated until
there is actual loss OF consciousness and
syncope.
That is ordinary weakness Of patho-
logical character: but there are cases in
which weakness is physiological. in which
diminished arterial tension, seeming want
of activity in the general circulation, and
either a sluggish or sometimes too rapid
and toneless action of the emunctories are
the rule. Such people are pale. but DO not
have any sense of exhaustion unless this
normal condition of debility is increased by
intercurrent attacks OF weakness. from
which the person usually returns to his or
her normal standard Of weakness. or
strength, for their very weakness in these
cases becomes their strength, which condi-
tion by kind of physiological outstanding
Of vital force insures long life.
Such is the nature of Pope Leo XIII.
and when last | saw him in the Vatican.
many years ago. he presented the same
rather emaciated, pallid, transparent, and
weak appearance that he presents today.
The eyes, however, were bright, and full
OF life. 1t is astonishing how well ma
lures Of this kind withstand even serious
surgical operations, how healthy the
wounds remain, how little fever there is,
and how rapidly the borders Of the incis-
ion unite.
The operation recently performed by
Prof. Comm. Gaetano Mazzoni, primario
in the hospitals of Rome. on His Holiness
was not one Of those major surgical acts
that place in direct question the patients
life. 1t was the excision. or, rather. emu
cleation, OF lipOma or fatty tumor. These
tumors develop in the musculo cutaneous
structures, and vary in size from hens
egg to a mans head. They usually consist
entirely of adipose tissue. and are Of toll
erably rapid growth. They may degener-
ate, become cystic, and in some instances
suppurate.
day at his apartment. 3 Via Condotti. in
formed me that In the case of the Pope
the tumor had attained the size of the two
fists. and. although formerly fatty, it had
become cystic. and was situated in the
ileagluteal region. He found, upon dis
sectng the tumor that there was some
degeneration of blood. which had caused
uecIlC lever. Dut tHtTt Was no IOTUldllOu
OF pus.
The professors moduS operandi was by
making an incision below the tumCi, turn
ing it upward, and so enucleating II from
its capsule. The Pope lost but little blood.
No arteries were tied. nor were any
stitches put in. The operation was per-
formed with remarkable swiftness and pre-
cision. lasting only fifteen minutes. and
was done without the administration of
h.. nf
lipoma. the cavity was packed with iodo-
form gauze. and the skin flap brought
down over il to keep il in place.
The next day the gauze was taken out.
The flap fitted exactly into the wound. the
borders of which were held in juxtaposition
by strips of adhesive plaster. Gentle and
continued compression was thus exercised.
preventing any hemorrhage from the
smaller blood vessels. and aiding union,
which took place rapidly, the wound heal
ing kindly.
His Holiness had little fever on the
second day. the thermometer registering
3l.S degrees centigrade. After that the
temperature. fell to normal, and there
ere no further febrile symptoms. It may
be said in general terms that the Pope
had no fever at all, for 3S degrees cent?
grade is really the border line between
fever and absence from fever. 3S degrees
other authorities as high normal
On the third day the Pope was able to
be out of bed. and on the fourth to walk
little. He had not at any time, either
just before, during or after the operation.
the slightest tendency to syncope, nor any
stomach trouble. He was able to take
solid food on the second day. which is all
the more remarkable when we take into
consideration his advanced age-upward of
ninety years. A surgical operation, how
ever simple and free from danger. becomes
serious when practiced on a patient so ad-
vanced in life, and il not directly fraught
with danger may indirectly have grave
complications and consequences, because
there is less resistance. These tumors be-
long to the class known as benign. and il
all the lobes, smaller fatty deposits AMI
fat cells be carefully removed they do not
''recidive."
Such, briefly, is the surgical aspect Of
the Pope's case. which. for the present, and
probably for the future is closed. 1t goes
without saying that tumors of this kind
are not accompanied by any cachexia or
effect upon the blood and general system,
as is the case in malignant growths. such
Nor is there any great pain. The princi-
pal inconvenience is caused by their size,
sense of weight. position, and interference
with the movements
Prof. Mazzoni said the present condition
of the Popes health was all that could bs
expected: that he was now able to so out,
and il he had not done so as yet it was
because he did not feel inclined. The
eminent surgeon then led me to a hand
someiy framed tribute and expression Of
thanks. signed and given him by Leo XIII
himself. in which he congratulated Prof.
Mazzoni on his great skill.
Prof. MoZzoni is a man in middle life,
with piercing black eyes and a broad fore
head His hair is slightly gray. I left
charmed with the Italian master.
The development OF this tumor necessi-
tating an operation WIS a mere surgical in
cident. having nothing whatever to do
with the medical side of the Pope's case.
to which ] shall devote my next letter.
1t should be noted that fatty iumors
choose de preference" fat people, and the
Pope is a thin man.