The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-16
The Smile That Once Bright ened His Face is Gone
 Forever
ABSENCE OF AGITATION
 WITHIN THE VATICAN
Patient Is Kept In Almost Absolute secIuslon-Doetors Are Begin nlna to Feel the straln--Dls-
 patches Number 26,ooo.

Rome July 15-One of the doctors in at tendance upon the pope gave the Asso- eiated Press correspondent word picture of Pope Leo as he appeared today. That smile which lighted up the pontiffs face, even in extreme age has disappeared probably forevera The skin Is drawn tightly over the bony framework of his face. leaving the once bright eyes staring dimly from the deeply sunken sockets A grayish pallor overspreads his counten- ance, but the most noticeable ravage wrought by his present disease is the dropping of the lower jaw, which has made the popes features take on the fixed rigidty of death.
 Throughout the day the precincts of the vatican were comparatively quiet and the immediate vicinity of the sick room show ed none of the evidences of agitation and alarm so apparent yesterday. In marked contract to previous days. the patient was kept in almost absolute seclusion, only one person besides the physicians in imme- diate attendance gaining admission. This one was Monsignor Pifferi the popes con- lessor. Others came to the ante chamber. including Cardinals Satolli and Serafino vannutelli, but they did not press for admission to the sick room. knowing of the doctors earnest wish to afford the patient every opportunity of avoiding exer- ton and mental effort.
 Leo Takes Nourlshment.
 During the day the pope took a small amount of nourishment Through the morning he was restless, shifting uneasily on his bed and complaining of inability to secure an easy position.
 Later he became drowsy and during the afternon had some sleep.
 The assembling of the doctors at half past o'clock. two hours before the usual time. was not due to any alarming turn in the pope's 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 practically un- changed while the exuresion that the de- pression of his strength had not increas- ed afforded slight note of relief.
 This evening his holiness complained of a slight uneasines in the chest. but that ne mas not yet tDIHpitttiy BlNe up Hbpct was indicated by his remark that he ex- peeted the oppression of his chest to pass off In few days. During the day the pope drank few drops of the healing watt CTS from the Shrine at Lourdes, several bottles of which were sent to the vatican by the French bishop in whose see Lont- des Is situated.
 | A local paper announces that from the moment Pope Leo swallowed the water an 1 improvement in his condition became ap- 1 parent
 Doctors Exhausted.
 The doctors are well nigh exhausted l with their unceasing cares. pr. Lapponi 1 in particular spends his entire nights IS well as days in the sick room. Just be- l fore midnight his wife, wishing to see | him. went to the vatican. She was taken | to a corridor near the sick room where she saw her husband for a few minutes. l An important case now before the Brit l ish consular court requires the presence of pr. Lapponi, but this Is impossible, because of the pope's condition, and also because the vatican affords extra territorial privi- leges to all within it's precincts.
 The total number of dispatches nquiring about the pope's health received at the vatican has reached 26.Ooo including some long cables from half around the world The cost of these telegrams is estimated at $500. The enormous deluge taxes to the utmost the resources of the vatican administrations large force of priests and seminarians is temporarily aiding the officials in making responses, which bear the signature of Cardinal Rampola