| In 1686, the king Louis XIV was found to be |
| suffering from anal fistulas, which where hardly |
| helped by his many laxatives. First a good |
| conservative treatment was sought |
| |
| Several patients with similar fistulas were located |
| and sent to various health-resorts. This was set up as |
| a scientificaly controlled experiment: four men |
| had spent a year taking the sulphurous waters |
| at Bourbonne-les-Bains. In no case were the results encouraging. |
| The court doctor was then forced |
| to try a fistula-salve invented by a jacobite monk, |
| who did not even belong to the guild. His annoyance |
| was presumably lessened by the observation that it |
| did not work either. |
| |
| An operation was the solution. Charles François Félix, |
| the court surgeon, had never cut a fistula in his life. |
| To begin with, he practiced on patients from the |
| poor-hospitals of Paris. Meanwhile, a silver bistoury |
| (since known as bistouri à la royale, or narrow- |
| bladed knife for making incisions), was constructed- |
| its nearest ancestry being in Galen. |
| |
| At seven in the morning on November 18, the |
| operation took place in the king's bedchamber at |
| Versailles. The only onlookers were Madame de |
| maintenon, a Minister of War named Louvois, |
| the priest La Chaise, the doctors Daquin, Fagon |
| and Besnières and four apothecaries who were |
| to hold the patient. |
| |
| Everything was recorded: Félix cut twice with the |
| bistoury and eight times with scissors. The king |
| never flinched or uttered a sound of pain. Not even |
| his breathing rate changed - according to the protocol. |
| This may be doubted, since the secretary must have |
| expected that the king would read it later and want a |
| testimony of sublime heroism. An hour after the |
| operation, Louis underwent blood-letting, a likely |
| sign that the was deeply affected. Generally he was |
| quite unwilling to be blood-let, and had not accepted |
| this "life-saving" procedures some years earlier, |
| when his arm was thrown out of joint. |
| |
| A courrier sped to the Dauphin who, as usual, was |
| away hunting. The crown prince rushed home and |
| entered the bedchamber "too disturbed to speak". |
| In the churches of Paris, faithful crowds gathered |
| to pray. Another messenger told Madame de Montespan |
| at Fontainebleau that she was not welcome at Versailles. |
| We may thus discredit a story that she went to the |
| patient, found her rival Maintenon calmly sewing |
| by his side, and retired to her appartements in a fit |
| of hysteria. |
| |
| That same evening, Louis insisted on holding a |
| council. On the following day he received the |
| ambassadors, though he was now clearly feeling |
| pain. His suffering was by no means over. Félix |
| did not want the wounds to heal too quickly, and |
| operated again on December 6,8 and 10. It was |
| on January 11 that the king first promenaded in the |
| Orangerie at Versailles. The people then offered |
| their good whishes at a public feast with 236 courses. |
| |
| This operation had a momentous historical outcome. |
| During convalescence, Louis visited the cloister |
| of Saint-Cyr. To celebrate the occasion, the nuns |
| ordered a cantata entitled Dieu Sauvez le Roi |
| to be composed. An Englishman happened to be |
| present and, enjoying the words and melody, |
| wrote them down. Once home, he translated the |
| text and it has since been known as "God save |
the King"...
But the story does not really end here. According to one
of our reader with a keen eyesight, this seems to be a legend
forged by the Marquise de Créquy, in the 19th century.
You will find all the detailed information on Wikipedia
| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Save_the_King |
|
| | | | | |
