THE PRINCE OF WALES' CONDITION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2739, 1 February 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE PRINCE OF WALES' CONDITION.

A Hambuko correspondent of Modern Society thus writes about H. R. H.l—

" Although the Prince of Wales is most active in followine' out the cure, is up early and in bed early, and Bwallowing the waters in pailfuls, still, acoording to the tho medical men, he cannot hope for waters to have any permanent effect upon his health until he has induced himself to give up smoking, or at least smoking the vory strong and large oigars and large oigHrettes in which ho indulges. His Royal Highness is suffering from urio acid in tho blood and a disordered stomach, the mucous membrane of which has been weak and impaired ever since the terrible attack of typhoid, seventeen years ago, which, if not oarefully attended to, may, in the opinion of all the medical men, both at home and abroad who have been consulted develop into an acute gastritis, which would of course be most serious. The effect of smoking, and especially of smoking to excess as Albert Edward does, is under these circumstances most harmful, and it is quite useless for him to deluge the Royal intestines with mineral waters, if he allows the fell and fatal spirit of the Goddess Nicotina to move upon the face of these waters. " The coating of the I stomach of Great Britain, junior, is j greatly irritated ; the liver of India minor distended and hardened, and the influence of the noxious weed is increasing and intensifying this deadly work of irritation, distension, and induration. In the mind of the superstitions (and the Princess of Wales may cortainly be numbered among these, for she and hor sister of Russia are two of tho most suporetitious ladies that ever tormented themselves with dreams, prophecies and supernatural indications), tobacco would indeed seem destined to exert a baneful influence over the affair of the genial Albert Edward. It was in a roundabout way, owing to tobacco, that the Prince Consort lost his life, for he caught the fatal cold which ended in gastric fever, when going to get the Prince of Wales out of a scrape, which he had got into through smoking ; and the gre»t dislike of tobacco entertained by the Queen dates from that time only, for formerly Her Majesty would even tolerate a pipe. Then in Paris some years ago the Prince nearly set fire to a house by throwing with culpable carelessness a lighted match on the carpet after having used it for his eternal weed ; and now finally we find the medical men; one and all, telling him that unless he gives up smoking, his health will not mend, and the Prince, finding it very nearly impossible to obey these recommendations, and throw cigar and cigarette from him for ever. By the way, were the Prince to give up smoking, it would, of course, become fashionable not to smoke. Poor tobacconists !"