The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-16
POPE CAN'T RECOVER
NECESSARY PHYSICAL ENERGY is
LACKING.
so DECLARES DR.. MAzzoNI.
STAGE HAS BEEN REACHED
WHERE LIFE MUST CEASE.

One of the Pope's Physicians Issues
"A Statement About Him-RecOvery
Might BE Hoped for in n Younger
Man-Old Age Seems to BE About
TO Take the Pope Away-HOw the
POntiR Passed the Day-NO Great
Change Has Been Noted I'm His
Condition.
ply to the question, Can the Pope Re-
Govern" gave the Associated Press to-
night, the following statement:
Rome, via Condotti, 8, July 15.-At
the present moment, the disease of his
holiness has lost its character of alb
solute gravity, which it had at its acute
period. 1t might be considered to have
entered the period of a possible solu-
ton. This might occur in a man of
strong fiber and young, but it is i'm
possible to entertain such a hope in the
case of man in his oath year. With
him the physical energy absolutely in
dispensable for recovery is lacking.
Pope Leos organism is perfect, and
as such maintains itself after SO years
of never interrupted work, but his
motor force is no longer sufficient for
the complex functions essential to
life. In other words, the SO years of
Pope Leo XIII bring him into that
category of extraordinary longevity
when life is destined to flicker out in
dependent of the action of any patho-
logical complication. The only service
that science and affection can render is
that of struggling to have this precious
existence preserved to us long as pos
sible.
"Gaetani Mazzeni."
Ravages of Disease.
Rome, July 15.-One of the doctors
in attendance on the Pontiff gave the
Associated Press correspondent a
graphic, but horrible, word picture of
Pope Leo as he appeared to-day. That
smile which lightened up the Pontiff' s
face, even in extreme age, has disap-
peared, probably forever. The skin is
drawn tightly over the bony frame
work of his face leaving the once
DIlSHI eyes Stating QlIIly IIOLil the
deeply sunken sockets A grayish pal
lor overspreads his countenance, but
| the most noticeable ravage wrought by
| his present disease is the dropping Of
! the lower jaw, which has the Pope's
| features take on the fixed rigidity o.
| death.
Throughout the day the precincts Of
| the Vatican were comparatively quiet
but the immediate vicinity of the SICK
-. i - =
| agitation and alarm so apparent yes
terday In marked contrast to pre-
vious days. the patient was kept in
| almost absolute seclusion, only one per-
son besides the physicians in imme-
| date attendance gaining admission
This one was Mgr. Pifferi, the Pope's
! confessor. Others came to the ante
chamber, including Cardinals Satolli
and Serafino Vannutelh. but they did
not press for admission to the sick
room, being aware of the doctors
earnest wish to afford the patient
every opportunity of avoiding exert!on
and mental effort.
Drank Healing Waters.
During the day the Pope took a
slight amount of nourishment.
Through the morning. he was quite
restless, shifting uneasily on his bed
and complaining of being unable to
secure an easy position. Later he be-
came drowsy. and during the afternoon
had some sleep.
The assembling of the doctors at
$50 O'Clock. two hours before the US
ual time, was not due to any alarming
turn in the Popes condition, but
through the wish thoroughly to go
over every detail of the situation. The
moderate tone of the bulletin which
followed the visit gave an assurance
that the patients condition was prac-
tically unchanged, while the express
sion that the depression of his strength
had not increased afforded a slight
note of relief.
This evening his holiness complained
of a slight uneasiness in the chest, but
that he has not yet completely given
UP hope was indicated by his remark
that he expected the oppression of his
chest to pass off in a few days.
During the day the Pope drank few
! drops of the healing waters from the
shrine at Lourdes, several bottles of
which were sent to the Vatican by the
French bishop in whose see Lourdes
is situated.
A local paper gravely announces
that from the moment the Pope Leo
swallowed the water an improvement
| in his condition became apparent.
Were 10000 Messages.
The doctors are wellnigh exhaust
ed with their unceasing cares. DIR.
Lapponi in particular. spends his en-
tire nights as well as days in the sick
| room. Just before midnight his wife,
wishing to see him, went to the Va
tican She was taken to a corridor
near the sick room, where she saw
| her husband for a few minutes.
An important case now before the
British consular court in Rome re-
uuires the presence of DR.. Lapponi, but
this is impossible because of the Pope's
condition, and also because the Vati-
can affords eXtraterritprial privileges
to all within it's precincts.
The total number of dispatches in
curing about the Pope's health
| received at the Vatican to-
day. reached $4,000 including some
lengthy cables from half around the
world. The total cost of these tele-
grams is estimated at $4,000. This
enormous deluge taxes to the utmost
the resources of the Vatican adminls-
tration. large force of priests and
seminarians is temporarily aiding the
officials in making responses, which
bear the signature of Cardinal Ram
polla.
Pope Had DeIirium.
The official news received by the AS
ISOLATED Press from the Vatican dur
ing the past twenty four hours states
that in his delirium the Pope spoke
especially of pilgrimages and recited
disconnectedly Latin verses. He often
seemed panic-stricken, crying to DR..
Lapponi, his valet and, Mgr Angel,