The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-07-17
LIFE DESTINED TO FLICKER OUT
INDEPENDENT OF RAvAGEs
OF DISEASE.
SMILE HAS GONE FOREVER
GRAPHIC WORD PICTURE OF THE
'PlTlFul APPEARANCE OF THE
AGED PoNTlFF.

Rome, July 16.-1O a. m.-The fol-
lowing medical bulletin has just been
issued:
1.-THE night was little tranquil and
s~!eepless. The general condition OF
his holiness presents no other modifi-
cation, except greater frequency OF
breathing, due to an augmentation OF
the pieuric fluid. Pulse, SO; tempera-
ture, 36.3 centigrate; respiration, SO.
Rome, July 16.-Dr. MaZzoni, in re-
ply to the question "Can the pope re-
cover?'' lat night gave out the follow
ing signed statement:
Rome, via Condotti, July 15.-At
the present moment the disease OF his
holiness has lost it's character OF alb
solute gravity which it had in its acute
period. It might be considered to
have entered the period Of a possible
solution. This might occur in a man
of strong fibre and young, but 1t is i'm
possible to entertain such a hope in
the case of a man in his ninety-fourth
year. With him the physical energy
absolutely indispensable for recovery
is lacking. Pope Leo's organism is
perfect and as such maintains itself
after ninety-three years of never in
terrupt work, but his motor force
is no longer sufficient for the complex
f.,ot;Onc nccorfio1 tn 1ifn In other
words, the ninety-three years of Pope
Leo XIII bring him into that category
of extraordinary longevity when
Life Is Destined to Flicker Out,
independent of the action of any path
illogical complication. The only serv-
i've that science and affection can
render is that Of struggling to have
this precious existence preserved to
us as long as possible"
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 ap-
pears today. That smile which lighted
up the pontiff's face even in extreme
age has disappeared. probably for
ever. The skin is drawn tightly over
the bony framework of his face, leav-
sUS llG O1CO DIl6AC ~ CD CoAAA ~
M)m the deeply sunken sockets. A
grayish pallor o%verspreads his counte-
nance but the most noticeable ravage
wrought by his present disease is the
dropping of the lower jaw, which has
made the pope's features take on the
fixed rigidity of death.
Throughout the day the precincts Of
the vatican were comparatively quiet
and the immediate vicinity of the sick
room showed none of the evidences OF
agitation and alarm so apparent yes
terday. In marked contrast to pre-
vious days the patient was kept in
Almost Absolute Seclusion,
only one person besides the physicians
in immediate attendance gaining a d
mission. This n was Mgr. Plferl,
the pope's confessor. Others came to
the anta-chamber. including Cardinals
Satolli md Serofino Vannutelli, but
they did not press for admission to the
sic' room, being aware of the doc.
tors earnest wish to afford the august
patient every opportunity of avoiding
exertion and mental effort.
During the day the pope took a slight
amount of nourishment. Through the
morning he was quite restless, shift
ing ~uneasily on his bed and complain
ing of being unable to secure an easy
position. Later he became drOWSy an0
during the afternoon had some sleep
The assembling of the doctors at 500
o'clock, two hours before the usual
time, was not due to any alarming TURF
in the pope's condition but through the
wish thoroughly to go over every de
tail Of the situation.
The moderate tone of the bulletin
which followed the visit gave an as
surance that the patients condition
Was Practically Unchanged,
while the expression that the depres
sion of his strength had not Increased
afforded a slight note of relief.
This evening his holiness complain
ed of a slight %uneasiness in the chest
but that he has not yet completely
given up hope was indicated by his re
mark that he expected the oppression
of his chest to pass off in a few days
During the day the pope drank a few
drops of the healing waters from thu
shrine at Lourdes, several bottles o
which we're sent to the vatican by tn
French bishop in whose see Lourde
is situated.
A local paper gravely announce
that from the moment Pope Leo swal
lowed the water an improvement in hi
condition became apparent.
The doctors are well nigh exhauste'
with their %unceasing cares. DR.. Lag
poni in particular spends his entir
nights as we'll as days in he sic
room.
/. The total number of dispatches il
quiring about the pope's health recei,
ed at the vatican Wednesday reache
10000, including some long cables fror
half around the world. The cost 9
these kilograms is estimated at $4,000
Dies From Lockjaw.
Portland, Ore, July ia boy she