Mikado Rallies.

New York Times 100 years ago today, July 21, 1912:
Japanese Emperor Has Acute Nephritis and Physicians Give No Hope.
ALL JAPAN AT PRAYERS
Empress at the Stricken Ruler's Bedside — Tokio Hushed as It Awaits the End.
    TOKIO, Sunday, July 21.— After a day and evening of great anxiety, during which it was thought that Mutsuhito, the Emperor, was near death from kidney disease, his condition was reported somewhat unproved this morning.
    During the night the temperature of the patient subsided appreciably, and he was able to take a little nourishment. His temperature at midnight was 102.2 degrees, and the physicians were somewhat encouraged.
    At 8 o'clock this morning the Secretary of the imperial household gave out the information that his Majesty's condition was unchanged. He was sleeping at 5:30 o'clock and was very weak.
    The Empress, who has been in almost constant attendance since the acute attack occurred, remained at his Majesty's bedside throughout the night. A consultation of the court physicians was arranged for 9 o'clock.
    The following bulletin was issued at 10 o'clock this morning:

    Temperature, 102.2; pulse, 102; respiration, 82. Drowsiness continues; when awake, consciousness is clearer. Nourishment was given his Majesty this morning. Condition remains unchanged.

    The announcement of the critical illness of his Majesty came as a severe shock to the people of the capital. The news first came out in The Nichi Nichi at 12:15 o'clock yesterday afternoon, and it spread rapidly through the empire.
    At 3 o'clock the entire city was impressively quiet. Hushed and anxious crowds assembled about the newspaper bulletin boards. There was a serious collapse of prices on the Stock Exchange.
    At that hour his Majesty's condition was so alarming that all the Ministers of State assembled at the imperial palace, as it was believed that the Emperor was sinking.
    The Imperial Princes were summoned from their Summer residences, and, together with all the notables at present in the capital, went to the palace to await the latest news from the sick chamber.
    The cCrown Prince, Yoshihito, who is recovering from a case of chicken pox and is still confined to his bed, received the news of his father's illness this morning. He has not yet been able to visit the palace, but the Crown Princess went there, and continually communicates with him by telephone, giving the latest tidings of his father.
    The doctors attending the Emperor are Genkyo Oka, Tanemichi Aoyama, and Kinnosuke Miura, and they diagnosed his case this morning as acute nephritis. A bulletin issued by them gave the history of the Emperor's illness as follows:

    Since July 14 his Majesty has been suffering from intestinal trouble. Great drowsiness followed the early attacks, this symptom increasing rapidly. On July 18, his Majesty became unconscious and his brain was affected. On the evening of the 19th the fever suddenly increased, showing a temperature of 104.7. The pulse rate was 104 and the respiration 88.

    Another bulletin issued from the palace in the afternoon said:

    The Emperor has been suffering from diabetes since 1904. This developed into chronic kidney trouble in 1906.

    Later it became known that uraemia had developed.
    The change for the worse in the Emperor's condition came suddenly Friday evening. The Emperor was talking to his wife, when suddenly he suffered a collapse, and the Court physicians were summoned. The Empress remained at her husband's bedside all Friday night, and her vigil was shared by a number of the Court ladies.
    His Majesty's bed had been moved to a sitting room in the palace. He has not been unconscious all the time, but is in a condition of extreme drowsiness.
    Oppressed by the critical nature of his attack, the city was silent last night. All theatrical productions and playing of music were stopped. Special religious services for his Majesty's recovery were held in the Buddhist temples in this city and Kioto, as well as in other large centres. Services were held in the Russian Cathedral also.
    Japanese newspapers publish editorial articles praying for the speedy recovery of his Majesty, and setting forth their loyal sentiments to him. They refer in grateful terms to the Emperor's splendid services to his country.
    The return to Tokio of Prince Katsura, the former Premier, who left several days ago on a mission to Europe, is expected. The Prince was among the first to be officially notified by telegraph of the Emperor's illness.