The Ely Miner

HUMBERT AND HIS DOCTOR.

Anecdotes of the King of Italy and Dr. Carlo Saglione.

The late death of Dr. Carlo Saglione, private physician of King Humbert, produced a general feeling of sorrow. Apart from his professional attainments, he was well known as a fine shot and a passionate lover of hunting. He had held the same office under King Vittorio Emanuele, and the present king, although he has a special dislike for doctors, regarded him and treated him as a friend. Dr. Saglione spoke to me on one occasion of the strong constitution of the Italian sovereign, his passion for riding, hunting and other violent exercises. In the chase or at the maneuvers King Humbert is always the first on horseback, and the last to dismount, fresh and smiling, when his companions are jaded and worn out.

Dr. Saglione was ever at his side-on the top of the snowy Alps chasing the wild goat and chamois, in the almost inaccessible forests of Castel Fusano hunting the wild boar, or on the immense sunny plains of Lombardy to pass in review thousands and thousands of soldiers.

Sometimes the king from his hunting lodge of Castel Fusano goes to the sea and amuses himself by shoveling sand into a cart. "Take care, your majesty," said Saglione one day, "not to perspire too much." "Ah! my dear signor doctor," answered the king, resting his chin on his two hands, which grasped the handle of his spade, "this muscular exercise does me much more good than your prescriptions."

"Yes, but one must abuse nothing."

"But I tell you that I feel very well and you are afraid you see in this poor shovel a competitor." And, laughing heartily, the king finished filling his cart.

However, by exposing himself in every way without exercising any care the king contracted bronchitis, which has taken a chronic form and has given him a rather troublesome cough. This cough was a source of anxiety to the faithful doctor, as he could not convince his patient of the necessity for taking medicine. Occasionally the doctor was even sent away abruptly by the king, who would say: "I have not called you. Why do you come? You may go. I thank you very much!"

One evening, however, the deceased doctor thought he had gained his point, and he prepared for the king in his bedroom the powders he was to take during the night. The next morning Dr. Saglione rose very early, as King Humbert never sleeps more than five hours, being very anxious to know the effect of his medicine. He was received in the bedroom, and at once asked: "Well, how does your majesty feel this morning?"

"Much better-I may say, quite well," was the response.

"Ah!" observed the doctor, rubbing his hands with satisfaction, "you see the result of listening to reason."

"What do you mean?" asked the king.

"The powders!"

"Bravo!" shouted King Humbert. "Go into the next room and see what you can find."

The powders were in the waste-paper basket.

Dr. Saglione had eventually to abandon his post, being struck down by paralysis, but King Humbert, although obliged to have another physician in the person of Dr. Querico, would not replace him officially until his death.

Rome Cor. Pall Mall Gazette.