El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-01
The German Empress Whose Health
Has Been Ruined by Fat
Reducing Drugs.

Berlin, Aug. II.
- ERMANS all over the world see in the
cabled news Of the Empress Augusta
Victoria's latest illness. complicated by
heart weakness, cause for real anxiety. They
know that the attacks Of heart trouble that
have been bothering the Empress for several
years are becoming more frequent and more
severe
There is no longer any doubt that the En-
press Auguste Victoria beloved Of the Kaiser
and by the whole German nation, has ruined
her health through drastic efforts to reduce
her Weight-toO vigorous massage, poisonous
reducing drugs and the death grip" corset
have transformed a woman Of noble beauty
and bounding vitality into pain-racked, ner-
vous and prematurely aged victim Of fradu-
lent means Of keeping young and beautiful"
Possibly not too late, though, the Kaiser
learning the truth, has ordered his wife to
"throw away those anti-fat poisons"
There was a period when women's gener-
Gus proportions, within certain restrictions
were ali the rage in Germany and in the CONT
mental capitals. For person Of the Empress
height TO weight between $50 and $50 pounds
was considered en- regle.
Then the AOstas happened to visit at the
Berlin Palace. The Duchess Letetia was
only twenty-five at the time, a beauty Of the
first rank. While slender to a degree, she
lacked not that fullness of figure that Will
lam admired mast in his own wife. She fas-
Cfnated him. One or twice he expressed ad-
miratiOn for her style Of beauty. The En-
press's Jealousy was aroused The Aostas
left Berlin abruptly ten hours before the
appointed time. That evening the Empress
called a council of her Danes Of the Palace.
The Grand Mistress. Countess Brockdorf.
presided; others present were Baroness Won
Haake. Countess Keller and the wardrobe
women. Frau SchWerdtfeger and Fraulein
GLEN.
The Empress tearfully told her female min
listers that His Majesty was finding fault with
her figure. and that she herself had considered
it questionable for'some time past
Nothing but a long waist and slender bust
viii please His Majesty now" she said, 'and
such must secure in the shortest possible
time"
Countess Brockdorf recalled a newspaper
article telling Of a famous and exceedingly
who had succeeded in Kidding a well-known
Berlin actress Of fifty pounds superhuous
overweight
Auguste Victoria was elated Despite the
grand mistresss protests, a telegram COM
manded Madam Scheibner to report at the
palace at II o'clock next morning.
Auguste Victoria, being so anxious to
please her lord, submitted to massage twice
daily. At the same time she accepted a new
French cOrsetmaker, a builder of stays that
became known as the "death-grip"
And between "death-grip" and the manipu-
latiOns Of the beauty doctor the once stately
Empress lost flesh daily to her great delight
and satisfaction.
But, strange to say, while the Kaiser ad-
mired the new figure" in his cousin german.
the sprightly Countess Charlotte Won Hob
enau, in Madam de Panaiel in Frau Won
Kotze and other beauties Of the court, he
failed to compliment the Empress I'm
proved" appearance AS matter Of fact he
though 1t an indication Of ill-health
One afternoon William, impatient at his
Wife's delay, strayed into her dressing room,
and observing the great array Of bottles and
platters filed with toilet waters, medicines
and cures-fOr-all. cried:
q didn't know the castle apothecary shop
had moved up here
Then, learning the cause Of his Empress's
decline in health and beauty, he ordered:
away with these anti-fat poisons!"
Court gossip has it that the Empress used
iodine for years internally. because Of that
drugs reputed fesh-devouring nropensities
Iodine is an irritant poison-no wonder Her
Majesty's heart became affected.
Is It too late that the Kaiser-unquestione
ruler in his own family-has stopped these
fatal practises?