The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1918-10-12
A Review of the Evidence in Support
of the Widespread Rumor that the
Kaiser is Insane

Berlin, April 1.-THE mental con-
dtion of the Emperor has again be-
come the subject of the most serious
discussions. New evidences of his
lack of self control are given almost
daily; the old stories are revived, and
the character of this exalting person.
age is pictured in such colors that it
is scarcely possible to say any longer
that he is eccentric, but rather that
he is insane.
His subjects are already asking
what will happen when the day comes
scepter must be taken from the mad
mans hand, and an end be made of
this young monarch's career, which
has been full of such grand possibil-
tiles.
When that time comes, the diff
Guilty of the situation will be increased
by the fact that William ii unites in
his own person SO many lordly func-
tions. Besides being an emperor, he
is king Of Prussia, eighteen times a
duke, twice grand duke, ten times
count, fifteen times seigneur and
three times margrave. These min
or dignities may amount to little, but
they indicate to certain extent the
complex interests that must be con-
suited when he is dethroned. In his
case there will be no exact precedent
to follow. Before considering the
process or the result it may be we'll
to state the facts upon which the Ger
man people base their general belief
that the reign of William II is draw
ing to close.
If the young Hohenzollern were a
subject and not a monarch, and an in
quiry into his sanity were ordered by
court, three kinds of evidence would
be considered First-What is the
present condition of the man as it is
seen by the eyes of physicians
Second-What is the medical history
Of his family? Third-What has he
done that can throw light on the ques-
tiOn?
The malady from which William Ii
is suffering is known in the medical
world as "otitis media"-chronic in
flammation Of the middle ear. 1t
is disease which can be caused by
local irritation, such as the insertion
of some foreign substance into the
ear; it can be caused by illness, such
as scarlet fever, but in most cases
it is due to blood taint.
A typical case presents the follow
ing symptoms: To begin, there is
a discharge from the ear. The pa
tient is subject to convultions. He
drops to the ground as though shot;
he froths at the mouth; the pupils of
his eyes become dilated and the mus
cles Of his body twitch. Then follows
moment Of calm, with another
Spasm Of violence. Another period of
calm comes, and then the patient re-
mains sane for some time. During
such periods there is melancholy, with
the usual suicidal impulses.
These attacks are intermittent and
occur whenever the discharge from
the ear is not free and rapid. As
the patient grows older the attacks
become more frequent and eventually
end in death, the immediate cause be-
ing cancer, abscess or tumor Of the
brain.
The emperor has such symptoms,
bnt not in the extreme, although the
truth is carefully concealed. He has
long spells when his ailment does not
bother him. These are followed, as
all the world knows, by some eccentric
acton that arouses anew the rumors
that his mind is unbalanced. His last
attack, by the most reliable authori-
ties, has been more violent than any
that has preceded it, and the result is
that definite statements regarding the
removal Of the emperor and the sstab.