THE KING SAVED FROM CHOKING

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVI, Issue 40, 2 November 1909, Page 7

THE KING SAVED FROM CHOKING

AN AMERICAN STORY. Consuelo, Duchess of Manchester, is | the heroine of an incident that occurred at Cowes (says a correspondent of the 'New York American') and which throws an interesting light on the true state of the King's health. The King's throat is worrying not only himself, but his physicians considerably. Although there is no malignant growth of any kind there is-, an obstruction which brings about serious choking fits. These fits cause the King to look apoplectic and render him helpless for several minutes. They come while his Majesty is eating, and consequently as one measure of precaution all fish served at the Royal table is always boned. During a dinner at which the King's intimate friends and suite were present on board the Royal yacht previous to the arrival of the Czar, the King suddenly choked and grew purple in the face while his eyes seemed to start out of his head. Sir William Reid, the Royal physician, happened to be dining ashore. Everyone stood up at the table absolutely helpless and not knowing what to do for a minute. The Queen began to cry out and one of the equerries rushed on deck to send ashore for a doctor.

Then it was the American duchess rose quickly from the table and thumped the King violently three times on the back. The King recovered himself quickly and laughingly thanked the duchess, while the Queen overwhelmed her with thanks for doing what certainly no other woman in the country would have dared do. The story spread all over Cowes the next day and the American duchess was chaffed by her friends.

The King's physician is very anxious that his patient's allowance of cigars shall be reduced to three a day, but the King, though usually most obedient to advice, has resolutely declined to bind himself to such a small number and has finally compromised by promising to smoke only six a day. His diet is, however, very restricted. He eats little meat and drinks only the lightest of hocks and clarets.