Surgeons Into Poincare

Paris was more acutely prostate gland conscious, last week, than at any time since Georges ("Le Tigre") Clemenceau had his removed over five years ago. It was now a case of dealing with the prostate gland of Raymond ("Le Lion") Poincare. At the time of his resignation as Prime Minister the illness of the "Lion of Lorraine" was described as "gastric fever'' (TIME, July 29). Last week, however, the precise facts were made known by Surgeons Marion and Cosset.

As the date of his operation neared, indomitable M. Poincare, although suffering considerable pain, insisted on getting up each morning, made a point of dressing himself unaided, even buttoned his small feet into the high, old fashioned shoes affected by many a French elder statesman. At his age--he will be 69 this month --M. Poincare knew that there was nothing unwonted, nothing crucial about an inflammation of the gland he was about to lose. Not strictly speaking an organ of sex, as ignorants suppose, the prostate, nestling just beneath the bladder, supplies certain useful but not vital secretions, is observed to be peculiarly liable to deterioration in old men, to communicable infection in young. Last week, yielding only to the onslaught of age, M. Poincare stepped briskly from his apartment, motored to a clinic, and next morning with firm step walked to the operating table on which he laid him down.

"Allous Messieurs, I am ready." said M. Poincare, and an ether mask soon covered his grizzly white whiskers. As the great War-time President of France sank into somnolence, he did not feel Surgeons Marion and Gosset fiddling about below his bladder.

They were only making exploratory incisions, preparing the way. Certain of these cuts would be allowed to heal. In about a month there would be a second, final operation, and the prostate would be cut cleanly out.

"Everything went perfectly," beamed Surgeon Marion when the exploring was over. As the anesthetic wore off and M. Poincare regained consciousness he appeared to think first and only of work. Certain reports had had to be left unfinished when illness obliged him to resign the Prime Ministry. As soon as ever he could Le Lion called for documents, ink and paper, set about completing the reports in his clear, precise, almost microscopic hand. So many huge baskets and bouquets arrived that when the invalid's room was full Mme. Poincare ordered the surplus sent, not without vanity, to deck the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.