MEDICAL REPORT ON TI1E KING'S ILLNESS.—The disease under 'which the
King labours continues its course, controlled, but not fir- :rested, by the remedies which are employed. The cough which came on at the end of last week seems to have been chiefly dependent upon the impeded flow of blood through the left side of the heart, by which it was :thrown back upon the lungs, so as to produce congestion. Consider- able portions of the lungs are consolidated, from the previous attacks of inflammation with which his Majesty has repeatedly been afflicted ; and hence any additional affection adds greatly to the difficulty with which the respiratory organs perform their functions. Had the King possessed sufficient strength to have borne the depletio:a, we believe that venesec. tion would have been adopted ; but the debility rendered this altogether inadmissible, and the speedy supervention of copious secretion from the .mucous membrane of the air passages, relieved the state of congestion, though it unavoidably brought on cough. More lately, the expectora- tion has been mixed with blood ; a very common occurrence in eases of this description, and dependent upon the impediment to the circulation above-mentioned. The overloaded vessels in this mauner become re. lieved ; and, except during the paroxysms of coughing, produced by the sputa in the air-cells, the sufferings of the royal patient have been essen- tially mitigated. The debility, which we described in our last number as so urgent, we need scarcely say, contimies undiminished ; and his Majesty, though he partakes of cooling and refreshing beverages, scarcely employs any thing in the shape of sustenance except occasionally a little light farinaceous food. It will perhaps be remembered, that by an addi- tion made to the bill for sanctioning the application of the Royal signa- ture by a stamp, it was required that the consent of the King should be signified by " word of mouth." It is remarkable that this precaution, which was intended to prevent abuse, may possibly throw serious impedi- ment in the execution of the measure, as already his Majesty's voice occasionally sinks into an almost inaudible whisper. The most unceas- ing assiduity is shown in watching every turn of the complaint ; and from the constant attendance of the physicians, not a moment is lost in acting upon any indication which may present itself. Day and night some medical person is in the apartment of the King ;* and all that the healing art can accomplish is thus secured to the august invalid. How much the progress of the malady may be delayed, and how long life may be preserved by this consummate care, it is quite impossible for any one to say ; but we fear that little more is left for his Majesty's medical attendants except the melancholy duty of assuaging the pains of decay- ing nature, and letting the hand of fatefull lightly on their royal master. —London Medical Gazette, June 26.
* Mr. Nussey has recently sat up with his Majesty about twice a week.
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