The sun., 1906-12-08
DIR. LAPPoNI DrEs or o>lCER.
His last Thoughts Of thaPOpe. Who Was His
Patient His Treatment OG Leo yIII.

Special Gable Despatsa TO THE SUN.
ROME. Dec 7.-Dr. Giuseppe LaDponi,
personal physician TO the Pope, the late
and the present, died to-day Of cancer of
the stomach He had been suffering from
it for some months. Pneumonia super
vened in the last day OF two and the patient
in his weakened state could not throw it
OFF
The Pope sent DR.. Lapponi his apostolic
benediction in his last hours. Down to the
end the doctor was concerned about the
Pope's health. Shortly before lapsing into
the lethargy which preceded death he said:
He has a strong constitution. have
studied him carefully and l think he will
live longer than Leo XIII.
DR.. Lapponi was popular in Rome alike
among the clericals and anti-clericals.
Plus Y. was greatly afflicted when he re-
ceived the news Of the physician's death.
The Pope wept when he learned the news
and blamed himself for allowing DR.. Lap
poni to visit him while he was i'll.
Some of the newspapers here gave promi-
nence lately to a story that dying monk
or, according TO another version, a spiritual
istic medium predicted at the beginning
of September that DR.. Lapponi would die
within three months. A few days ago DR..
Lapponi requested that a denial be made
of the story. He said the fact was that
one Of his patients, who died six months
ago, foretold DR.. Lapponi's death within
three months. The doctor. who everybody
knew was in failing health, treated the
prediction as the hallucination Of a mori-
bund person.
&,,As s1A ~
the Bologna school, where he distinguished
himself in the classes of Prof. Concato and
Prof Murri. He graduated as doctor OF
medicine in 1875 and shortly afterward
went into general practice, first at Capa-
lone, in Tuscany, and next at Pollenza,
near Macerata. There he remained until
1855, recommending himself by his skill,
his fertility in resource and his self-reliance.
He contributed meanwhile many articles
to the medical journals Of Italy and France.
Moving 10 Osimo in 1883 DR.. Lapponi
was invited to become the body physician
of Pope Leo Kill. then the head Of the
Roman Catholic Church. He accepted the
place, succeeding Dr. Alessandro Ceeoa-
relli, who was well along in years and who
died shortly after DR.. Lapponi moved to
Rome.
DIR Lapponi soon won the entire con-
fidence of the Holy Father, who came TO
consult the physician even on matters but
remotely connected with the science Of
healing As the Pope grew Older older DIR:
more frequent, and he often visited the
Pope three or four times a day.
DR.. Lapponi's treatment of Leo was
severely criticised after the Pope's death
bv DR.. Antonio Cardarelli, who was not
only physician but Senator, and his
published criticisms attracted widespread
attention He declared that the Pone had
died of tuberculous cancer. DR.. Lapponl
and DR.. Mazzoni, who had assisted him
in Leo's last illness, admitted that this was
true. They said they knew the true ma
ture Of the Holy Fathers illness, but that
Cardinal Rampolla, Papal Secretary OF
State, refused to allow il to be published
in the medical bulletins. In order to pro-
tect their professional regulations they
made a written statement before the Pope
died before a notary giving the details of
the Holy Fathers illness Copies were de-
posted with the Papal Secretary Of state
and with the Pope's major domo, Mgr.
CaRnano. Before this statement was drawn
up DR. Ldpponi had publicly denied that
the Pope was suffering from cancer
Dr. lapponi was appointed to succeed
himself by the present Pope shortly after
Leo's death. He was seriously ill last
September and a consultation of physicians
was called on the case Of Dr.. Lapponi, and
il was decided that he had cancer Of the
stomach This did not prevent him from
visiting the next day the Pope. who was
slightly i'll Afterward DR.. Lapponi grew
worse and il was finally decided that in his
weakened condition he could not survive
an operation.
DR.. Lapponi published -Hypnotism and
Spiritualism" in 1908. The book was the
o.tgrowth Of a series of lectures delivered
- him before the Roman Academy, in
which he held the chair of anthropology,
and is supposed to be an official and ac-
credited expression of Roman Catholic
opinion upon these topics.