THE KAISER'S DISEASED EAR.

Feilding Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 178, 26 February 1906, Page 4

THE KAISER'S DISEASED EAR.

The disease of the ear from which tbe Kaiser has suffered from birtb ha 3 recently developed most serious symptoms, and has caused much anxiety among hi 3 medical advisers that a distinguished London aurist who ba3 achieved a European reputation for bis investigations into tbe particuliar form of ear disease with which the Emperor is affected, hu* been summoned to Berlin to perform an operation. Though too Emperor has been partially deaf throughout his lifo, tbe hearing of his left ear boing impaired, he suffered no active discom M fort until recently, when after delivering a series of open air speeches he contracted a cold. This was followed by a severe catarrh, which developing unchecked led to suppuration of tbe middle ear, producing a painful discharge accompanied by acute neuralgia, which so far tbe German aurists have failed to abate or relieve. After prolonged consultations, tbe German doctors agreed to advise His Majesty to seek tbe advice of the London specialist who will soon leave London on his important mission. The operation which will be neces sary to relieve the patient will be performed on what is known as the mastoid antrum, a small cavity in in the centre of the bone which lies behind the ear. It is not a serious operation in itself, but its gravitj lies in the fact that apart from the danger inseparable from an operation in such a delicate region, the disease itself may spread into the mem braces of the brain after the operation and produce meningitis, with all its co> relative dangers. There is also a liability of the disease spreading from the antrum intc the lateral sinus, a large vein whicb lies behind thg antrum, again setting up blood poisoning, which in such a case would almost certa nly be fol lowed by death. If tho operation should be altogether unsuccessful, the patient runs tbe risk of developing serious brain affection. In any case, however successful the actual operation may prove, an improvement in hearing rarely results, and all that can be hoped for is stopping the discbarge. Remembering the painful experi ences of the late Sir Morrell Mackenzie when he attended the Ka'ser's father in the last months of his life, th-> surgeon who has now been summoned to operate on the Kaiser was very reluctant to undertake the responsible duty. Ho has, however, been assured that there will be no repetition of the Morrell Mackenzie scandal.