THE LAST DAYS OF NAPOLEON III.

Southland Times, Issue 1719, 25 March 1873, Page 3

THE LAST DAYS OF NAPOLEON 111.

(From the London Colonial News.) Suddenly at tbe last — yet not altogether unexpectedly to those wbo best knew the nature of the illustrious patient's malady, and the ill-effects whicb local circumstances could not fail to produce on bis general physical condition — the Emperor of tbe French died at Cbisleburst at a quarter before eleven o'clock in the forenoon of the 9th Jan. Although stated in the daily press that tbose around bis late Majesty did not interpret in tbe most sanguine sense that part of the bulletin of Wednesday afternoon which stated tbat the "local symptoms were more severe," yet even upon the most anxious and vigilant tbe end came with a positive surprise. Just one hour before Napoleon 111. drew his , last breath, it bad been decided tbat another operation — tbe third — should be performed at noon; and we may be certain that tbe eminent surgeons and physicians wbo watched tbe sick bed at Chielehurst with unremitting care, bad good data for their resolve, not only in tbe general, but in the local conditions of tbe patient. Their calculations, however, strangely and totally miscarried. At a quarter before ten, wben it was decided , to perform the fresh operation, the Emperor's pulse was heating strongly and regularly eighty-four strokes per minute ; the local symptoms had improved ; the general state of tbe patient encouraged hope tbat the third trying ordeal of surgerj might be successfully undergone. Forty minutes later it was •vident that a grave change had taken place; the Emperor showed alarming symptoms that he was rapidly sinking; the action of the heart all at once ceased ; and a quarter before eleven all was over. Such, in brief, is tbe story of what was, literally, the last hour of Napoleon 111 • but before detailing more minutely the incidents that immediately preceded or attended his death, it may be well to glance back at what little is known regarding the growth and course of an illness that has so suddenly removed a man towards whom, even in his exile and retirement, tbe eyes of tbe whole world could not help constantly turning. Years have passed since the late Emperor began to experience symptoms of tbe disease to which he has finally succumbed ; and those symptoms were complicated with others, affecting rather the general health, that still may be supposed to have reacted upon and intensified the immediate and more dangerous local malady — which, to use the plain English term, was stone in tbe bladder. In the late war it was more than ence remarked that- the unwonted slowness and lethargy of the Emperor's movements, betore disaster set in with a flood tide— tbe dejection, and indeed prostration, both mental and physical, which seemed to have overwhelmed him between tbe fatal

! days of Worth and Sedan — were due as much to tbe depressing influence of bodily disease, as to the anguish of mind caused by tbe incapacity of bis Marshals and the superior generalship of the enemy. The fact is now ascertained almost beyond a doubt, and we believe the most eminent and experienced of the surgeons whose skill has been baffled by causes which they could not control, expressed his profound astonishment tbat the Emperor should have sat his horse at Sedan, suffering, as be must have done, tbe most acute agony. Tbe enforced repose of Wilhelmshohe for a time allayed the symptoms ; but when tbe Emperor took up his abode in England, and began with zest, yet with moderation, to enter into tbe pleasures of English country life, his activity as a horseman and pedestrian seems slowly but surely to have brought | back the threatening and painful signs of ' tbe disease. In last July, though conscious from surgical report tbat his condition was not satisfactory, tbe Emperor declined to have any special examination made ; but after his return from the sea coast in autumn, the malady rapidly increased in seventy, until, on the report of the eminent lithotritist, Sir Henry Thompson, that a vesical calculus of phosphatic character, as large as a walnut or chestnut, existed, his Majesty, on the 2nd Jan., placed himself unreservedly in tbe bands of his medical advisers, proffering only a request that whatever was to be done should be done quickly. Not until Monday, January 6. was tbe public generally made aware of the illness of tbe illustrious guest, whose misfortunes, and whose manly resignation under them, bad won universal sympathy and esteem in England. The first operation took place on the afternoon of the day on which the Emperor had been examined — Thursday, the 2nd of January ; and though the utmost skill of the accomplished operator, Sir Henry Thompson, was put forth, the difficulty of the task, both in its own delicateneßS, and in the formidable character of tbe obstacle to be removed, rendered the success necessarily but partial. The fine process of lithotrity requires in most cases to be repeated several times before the calculus can be reduced sufficiently to pass off by means of the ordinary operation of nature ; and in this serious case the progress made in the first attack on tbe nucleus of the malady was considered aa highly gratifying. Much local irritation and pain, however, were caused by the presence of the fragments of tbe calculus which bad not been carried off; therefore it was decided on Sunday last that another operation should take place next day. On tbis occasion also, it waa judged advisable tbat tbe patient should be put under the influence of chleroform — since it was too probable th tt painful obstructions might be met with even before the original centre of tbe disease could be reached by tbe wonderfully fine instruments employed. When chloroform had been administered by Mr Clover, it was found that the apprehensions bad been too well founded ; but the obstacle was with some trouble removed, and the operation of lithotrity was again performed, with the result of removing a still larger quantity of the debris crushed from the calculus than even at tbe first attempt Thus far, then, the surgical work had been most successful ; and Sir Henry Thompson — who, ever since the first alarm of danger Bix months ago, had bestowed bis closest attention upon tbe case, as during the past few critical days he has given to it unremittingly his personal care — seemed to have fair reason for congratulating himself on another victory of his unequalled skill, in preserving the life of one even more illustrious than King Leopold. On Tuesday, the general condition of the patient was good, and no alarm was entertained, for a continued abatement of pain was reported, and the Emperor's rest was not troubled. But on Wednesday tbe sufferer's state was less satisfactory ; tbe local symptoms grew more threatening, although the general condition of tbe frame was still by no means such as to countenance despondency ; and it was believed that a fresh operation might be safely performed without any extreme strain upon the reserve of physical strength. At the same time, no precaution was omitted that the skill and experience of the eminent surgical and medical attendants on his .Majesty could devise, in case of any unfavorable turn in the malady. On Wednesday afternoon, Mr Clover, the most experienced administra tor of chloroform in this, if not in any other country, waß requested to come to Chislelmrst ; and Sir H7nry Thompson also desired the attendauce of his assistant, Mr Foster — so that nothing might be wanting in case an operation should become at any moment necessary. At Camden Place, therefore, during the night of Wednesday, there were present Sir Henry Thompson, I)r Conneau, Dr Le Baron Corvisart, and Mr Clover. About eleven in the evening, the doctors consulted together, and then visited His Majesty, who slept soundly, aud whose condition was pronounced by them to be quite satisfactory. The arrangement was made that tbey should take it in turns to ascertain tbe state of the patient during tbe nigbt, and the first report made at two o clock on Thursday morning, by Dr Conneau, was tbat all went well. Two hours afterwards, Dr Le Baron Corvisart made his inspection, and reported to tbe same effect ; aud at six a.m. Sir Henry Thompson, in his turn, made a most careful examination of the Kmperor's skin and breathing — without in any way disturbing him from the tranquil slumber which he enjoyed apparently without interruption. Sir Henry took particular care to examine tbe local symptoms, and found tbat tbey exhibited material improvement — a matter to wbich he paid the more scrupulous attention, because he knew that the third operation was to be performed within a few boors. Everything, in tbe appear-

ances presented, combined to make him satisfied both with the state of the patient and with tbe prospect of the coming day's critical work. Wben, at half-past eight, Sir Henry Thompson, Dr Conneau, and Dr Le Baron Corvisart, visited the Emperor together, making a minute examination into the patient's state, tbey saw nothing to alter tbe view entertained by each individually on former inspections, believing, from all the apparent symptoms that no cause for uneasiness existed — if indeed the Emperor bad not materially improved since the evening before. To make precaution perfectly complete, Mr Clover, who was to administer chloroform in a few hours afterwards, was taken to the Emperor's room by all tbe surgeons, and after close examination be declared that there was no risk in administering chloroform to the patient — tbat, in fact, he was quite , prepared to administer it there and then, i The Emperor's pulse was at thie time [ beating from eighty to eighty-four, fully ' and regularly ; and after Mr Clover's confident assurance tbat there was no objection to placing his Majesty under the influence of the anaesthetic, either at once or at such times as tbe operating surgeons might desire, it was fixed that the operation should be undertaken at noon. Although no consultation was fixed to take place before the time for operating arrived, Sir Henry Thompson, as an additional precaution, paid another visit to tbe Emperor at twenty-five minutes past ten. Greatly to bis surprise, after tbe cheering signs of little more than half an hour before, be observed a sudden change in the condition of the patient, whicb he believes to have taken place just about the very moment wben he entered the room. Instantly he caused the other medical attendants to be summoned; and it could not be for a moment disguised from their experienced eyes tbat the Emperor was fast sinking, beyond any power of theirs to recall him. Without loss of time a carriage and pair was sent off at full speed to fetch tbe Prince Imperial — wbo, after remaining two or three days at Camden Place, had returned in good hope to the Boyal Military Academy at Woolwich, accompanied by tbe son of Dr Conneau, and by M. Filon, his tator. At a quarter past eleven, wbile the Prince was at drill with the cadet comI pany, the news of his father's unexpected and imminent peril reached bim ; immediately he stacked bis rifle, jumped | into tbe carriage, and drove back with all haste towards Chislehurst, six miles distant. But he came too late— as did all I those other friends of the Emperor within reasonable reacn to whom messages had been sent by telegraph instantly on the occurrence of tbe fatal change. I =======