New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-26


nv = w Miican, Associate Editor Of The
xsv-York Medical Journal said yesterday
.s-s-noon TO a Tribune reporter. in speaking
-, the illness of King Edward VII:
IT think the King deliberately sacrificed him
lie for his people When he knew he was Sc
-.onsIv sick he apparently made up his mind
. s+and on his feet long as he could that
IN immense financial loss would be sustained by
reinforcement Of the coronation festivities
r5 the pleasure of the people would not De
-,ed 10 sorrow marred in any way. All
y. 7,spatches which l have read lead me to
-, the impression that the Kings physicians
lev al least four five days ago that the
vtrx was suffering from appendicitis or from
,e-5rvphlItis and advised that he should not
h,,k of the coronation exercises. but should
.srbnit 10 their will, so the graver danger
r,bicb threatened him might, if within the
.ouer of medical science TO forestan. be warded
a In nv humble opinion. he undoubtedly
LID hv his physicians of the risk ne was TAX
avg by turning a deaf ear TO their advice, and
rat even then he continued to disregard their
.earias until the disease laid him prone
upon his hack.
ANY physician who speaks about the pro-
;at,- or impropriety of the course pursued by
she Kings physicians in their treatment of the
o,-sl parient unless he be near the sick cham
her and in a position to learn all the facts OF
+be case. stultifies himself. Very often In cases
~ neritvphlitis there is an utter absence OF any
distinctive symptom Such symptoms as there
-. rsr,- in character and might be due to many
dfTerert causes. Suddenly an explosion. as II
,rare occurs. and a series OF grave symptoms
o,narer7tlv almost in a moment form what Is
known as a fulnlinant case Then any compe-
,.,. surgeon or physician would recognize the
disease.
nrppFSSION ONE OF THE CAUSES
Mental depression may have been one of the
urinary causes which shattered the Kings
health and left him open to attack from the
disease Even in persons with the stoutest
baarrs and the strongest wills there may usu-
ally he found vein of superstition 1t is one OF
aur herifages from the early ages. In the SIN
ties when the King was travelling IN 1ndla. ne
mel woman who known as an lhuidh
sorceress or fortune teller. She told him that
he would be King. but might never be crowned
7 MAS told that story some years ago 10y a per
son who is trustworthy. and have no reason TO
believe the story TO be untrue. The Indian sor-
ceress appears to be only one of many persons
who T7rophesied that the King might never be
crowned. Many Of these gloomy foreshadoW-
ings Of what in store for the KING Iouhu
their way into type, and probe bly, most of them
the King saw The King undoubtedly has a
strong mind. / think he would be unique LOT
great mental vigor if such stories about hlmsel
did not affect him. Such prophesies might
quickly undermine the most robust constitution
History is full Of just such cases One Of them
/ wildly recall now. II was that OF orlFer vi
a coach in Edinburgh Some students at the
medical university there decided TO have some
inn With the driver. At least it was what they
l-i--a 81
mute one Of the students got on the coach and
exclaimed Hello Pat what makes you look
so 5iecontenteda You seem to be very SICK
Now Patrick was of the halesI men III
Edinburgh at the time. He laughed at the STU
dent and replied that he guessed the student
WAS mistaken about his physical condition
When the first mile was completed another stu
dent jumped on the coach and asked the driver
= he WAS in need Of the services Of physician
At the end OF each mile student stopped the
coach. got in. and then told the driver he ap-
reared to be severely sick. That same day the
driver had 10 take to his bed, and was seriously
i'll for some DAYS. His mind became depressed
by the remarks of the students. and his physi-
cal condition was thereby seriously weakened.
.Perityphlitis usually starts in the appendix
sppenGicitis and per;typhlitis are not. however.
the same disease The coecum. or the blind part
of the intestine is the junction of the small and
large intestine. and perityphlitis means an in
eanr7a+ion around the blind part of the intes-
tine. The appendix is attached TO the cdcuhl;
Il might be described as resembling little tan
connected with il Appendicitis is always
mn because Of the condition of the appendix but
or account of what that condition might De-
come"
DR. wYETH NOT HOPEFUL.
q should say that the prognosis in King Ed
wards case Is distinctly unfavorable, Dr. John
a Wyeth SAID. II take into account the age OF
the King, the state Of his health at the time OF
the operation and the physical strain to winch
he had been subjected for some days Inc re-
ports would indicate that the chill he suffered
AZ Ald=rshot was due 10 the presence of pus,
and that he then had appendicitis or per1typhl-
lis, whichever they choose TO call it. II would
aapear that the inflammation was allowed to
continue until there was formed an abscess from
which about a quart of virulent pus was eVacu-
ated Taking all that into account Win t i
fatigue Of his journey TO London before tLs
operation was decided On, should say that the
chances we're against his recovery ~
The reports regarding the Kings conoIiI ,.
are 100 general to permit of valuable prognoSls
here" said Dr. W. Travis Glib but from VIVA!
is known I am inclined to think he is in grea'
danger His age alone would not count so nauch
against recovery but his mode of life may nave
weakened his constitution, and may nave maj
him liable 10 complications which would pre-
vent recovery. His corpulency uhuoupteuis
made The operation more difficult and necessl-
tated larger wound. There have been many
cases IN this city in which similar Operations
have resulted in recoyeries The draining of ar
abscess n the peritcneal cavity usually Is sue
cessfUI
The King probably had Illuminating aP.
pendicitis resulting in the formation Of large
abscess that broke in the peritoneal cavity aiio
made an operation absolutely necessary IN one
such case performed al operation, drained tiie
abscess and was obliged to reopen the wouno
twice later for more drainage. Later 1 discoV'
cred the presence Of abscess IN one OF tflt
TOrr another