Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-08-11
King So Much Better
Australian Visit Nav
Be Underfaken in 50

LONDON. Aug. II (NANA) -
The health of King George VI has
taken such a turn for the better
that palace circles are beginning
to feel hopeful the King may make
Q complete recovery and the royal
visit to New Zealand and Australia.
postponed last fall. may be car
ried out In 1850 or 1851.
Last November. when the royal
tour was Cancelled and the Kings
illness was made public, the Kings
life undoubtedly was in grave
danger.
It was not merely a case of pos
sibly losing the right foot. There
was q chance the King might not
survive. Fortunately, skille d
medical attention and, what is
more important in such an illness,
skilled nursing saved the Kings
life and his leg.
oHCI Ak4Ou vi N404SA 4Ss
Throughout the winter. King
George was, in fact. in the hands
of his nurses. And the right foot
responded so well to treatment
that last March the doctors con-
sidered that an operation to re-
store the circulation Of the blood,
which was badly hampered, might
be successful.
They were right. The King was
operated on on March IL for
lumbar sympathectomy, which
means making a small incision on
the right side of the body to cut
the nerve controlling the blood
supply to the foot. Circulation i'm
proves, the limb becomes warmer
and danger Of gangrene is elimi-
mated.
The operation was a complete
success and the King is now almost
able to do q full days work once
more. A great deal Of care is still
taken that he not Overture himself,
and he still has to rest his right
foot whenever possible. But he
does not limp or drag his foot, and
he no longer has to do most OF
his work sitting down.
More and More in Public.
The King has been seen more
and more In public during the last
few weeks. At q party two weeks
ago the King showed no trace of
lameness or illness. He walked
about for at least two hours and
seemed In the best Of health and
spirits.
One of the exhausting cere-
monies which the King is bound
to go through is in connection
with investitures. He has to stand
and hang decorations on numer-
Gus people who would be pain
fully disappointed If they did not
receive their crosses and badges
from the royal hand itself. The
King also has to tap worthy
people on the shoulder with q
naked sword and say to them,
Rise, Sir John" or Rise, Sir
Timothy" and 50 make them
knights.
At the first investiture, after his
illness, on March /, the King re-;
manned seated. He could not trust
his right foot. At the next, July
IL, the King stood for the first
half Of the ceremony.
No Sign of Fatigue.
A week ago. on July %, the
third Of these ceremonies &C.
Cured in the gardens OF Bucking-
ham Palace. when the King pre-
sented new colors to the Irish
Guards. This is a very firing
ceremony even for people in the
best of health. Dressed in full
ceremonial scarlet, the King went
through the long routine, watch
ing the marching and counter
marching Of the troops on parade
and reverently following the con-
secration ceremony Of the new
colors on the piled drums Of the
regiment.
He then handed the new colors
to two ensigns and addressed the
troops. Throughout that time
the King was on his feet, and
when he walked back to the
palace he showed no sign of
fatigue.
But even before that the King
had showed signs Of renewed
health. Three weeks ago, at q
party given at the palace prin-
cipally in honor Of the common
wealth finance ministers, the
King and Queen danced together
and mingled with their guests I'M
til long past midnight.