The Washington times., 1920-04-25

poor progress. He is now rapidly learning
TO speak naturally.
Anatomists win readily understand how
a displacement Of the boys upper spinal
vertebrae could have destroyed his power
OF hearing. The nerve centres OF the CEN
trai nervous system are situated In tho
base Of the brain and In the spinal column.
The two nerves Of hearing running to each
ear, known as the eighth cervical pair Of
nerves, start in the medulla oblongata,
w1ch is part of the base of the brain. The
medulla is really the top of the spinal cord
and is Immediately above the first spinal
vertebra, which is called the atlas. The
next vertebra below this is the axis.
Johnston Mays work consists mainly In
restoring the spinal column to its natural
position. in giving it its natural fiexibility
and in removing excrescences which often
grow upon 1t as a result of disease or
malposition. He also corrects the position
of other bones and makes the joints fex-
ible,
Il is very strange that, when scores Of
persons knew of the unfortunate accident
attending the boys birth, no one had in
telligence enough to connect 1t with his
subsequent affliction. Doubtless, If he had
been an ordinary child butchers son,
for instance the doctor would have found
right away that there was something
wrong with his neck and would have tried
to put 1t straight, but as he was a prince
his person was sacred, nobody dared to
touch him and so he was allowed to grow
up deaf and dumb. ......
The Queen has sought for nearly twelve
years for some one who could cure her son.
For long time he was under the treat
ment Of Professor Henri Raymond the
most noted ear specialist in Switzerland,
but without any serious result. Two opera
tions were performed on him at the
Laryngological Clinic, Fribourg Switzer-
land, in 1911 and 1912. but they did him
no good. He was again operated on in
1912 by Professor Moore, of Bordeaux, a
noted French ear specialist.
Nine distinguished European physicians
and surgeons examined him at BiarritZ,, in
1912, and pronounced him mentally nor
NAL, but they did not help him to hear.
Year after year the King and Queen have
made new efforts to find a cure for their
little sons affliction. The year before the
war King Alfonso's principal physician. DR..
vincente Lorente, visited the United States,
at the instance of his royal master, to
report on the various methods in use on
this side OF the Atlantic for the relief Of
the deaf and dumb. The doctor returned
to Spain, SO satisfied with what he had
learned over here, that at his instance the
King distributed several orders and deco
rations among those Americans who had
assisted the doctor in his investigations.
But these men did not help the poor boy
to hear.
The Princes affliction was finally re-
garded as so incurabe that It was officially
decided that II must bar him from succeed
ing to the throne. BY the laws Of most
European royal families incurably de.
formed princes are now barred from sue
ceeding.
In 1913 the youngest brother Of the af
hiCted Prince, the little Don Juan, only a
few months old, was officially designated as
the second heir TO the Crown, the first
heir being, OF course, the sturdy. fair
haired stolid Alfonso, Prince of the Astu-
rias, who is as blond as his brother Jaime
is dark.
The two older boys get on very we'll
with one another. Jaime seemed to under
stand every took and every movement OF
the lips OF his elder brother. who in turn
comprehends jaime, and always acted as
his interpreter.
Now, II is certain that the order barring
Prince Jaime from the throne will be Of
fcially rescinded as soon as the officials
are satisfied that he is a thoroughly normal
Prince who can hear and talk.