As he had intimated, the king could not continue familiar
intercourse with the westerners because none but the nobles might
enter his presence, except by particular request. There was some
speculation, therefore, as to the attitude he would assume towards
the missionaries after the coronation ceremonies were over. Any
misgivings they may have had were soon dispelled. For some years
it had been the custom of the Prince-Priest to celebrate his
birthday—“the day like that on which I was born,” as he termed
it—by inviting his foreign friends to a feast. The missionaries
awaited the royal birthday with some interest, agreeing among
themselves that his future attitude towards them would be more
truly forecast by his treatment of his former custom. When the day
approached the king sent an autograph letter “to all the white
strangers,” inviting them to the palace.
Concerning this event Dr. House wrote (Oct. 18, 1851):
“This day twelve-month, how different we were situated: our
teachers arrested and in irons; our servants panic struck or
in prison; and we seriously agitating the question of seeking
a more open field to labor in.
“Now we are the invited guests of the King himself, on the
occasion of his forty-seventh birthday, to dine at the royal
palace with other Europeans. His Majesty’s eldest son is
deputed to do the honours of the feast, and we receiving a
present of gold from the sovereign of the land as a token
of his favour; and nobles and princes courting rather than
shunning our acquaintance.”
King Mongkut entertained a particularly high esteem for Dr. Bradley
and Dr. House. This admiration manifested itself not merely by
including them under the bestowal of general favours but by marks
of personal consideration. It was no small honour which the king
conferred upon Dr. House by this request (July, 1852):
“Honoured today by the first personal summons I (or indeed
any of us missionaries) have received to the royal presence.
Nai Poon called to say that he was ordered some days ago
to take me for conversation in English as His Majesty was
‘losing all his English.’”
Frequently the king sent to Dr. House requesting him to translate
for him items of political or scientific interest in English
journals or to report news from the doctor’s foreign mail. Before
the king engaged Mrs. Leonowens, the English governess, who served
also as his amanuensis, he occasionally would summon Dr. House to
transcribe in a familiar hand letters in English to the king or to
write for him letters to foreign rulers, including Queen Victoria
and the President of the United States.
In his capacity as a surgeon, after he had given up the general
practise, Dr. House was on two occasions summoned to assist Dr.
Bradley at the king’s palace. In January of 1852 he records his
first attendance:
“At His Majesty’s request—the prince physician desiring
it, Dr. Bradley was summoned to take charge of one of the
royal ladies who had been confined but a few days before
of a princess—His Majesty’s first begotten since his
accession.... Never before had any foreign physician been
within the forbidden precincts of the harem of the royal
palace. His Majesty, like a good husband anxious for his
young wife, desired Dr. Bradley to invite me to accompany him
as counsel in the case. So in the evening I went expecting to
return by twelve o’clock. Parleying at the inner gate, women
servants opened the gates and escorted us to the palace. Dr.
Bradley had got the fire by which she was lying extinguished
(custom required ‘lying by the fire’), had put her on a close
diet and other treatment. An old lady of rank waited to carry
up my opinion of the case to the ‘Sacred Feet.’ At midnight,
finding our patient had no new paroxysms, as we feared she
might, we proposed going home. ‘Go, how can you; you must
stay till morning, you are locked in and the key sent to the
king, so stay you must; no one goes out till daylight!’”
Some days after Dr. Bradley received from the king the following
letter of appreciation:
“MY DEAR SIR:
“My mind is indeed full of much gratitude to you for your
skill and some expense of medicine in most valuable favour to
my dear lady, the mother of my infant daughter, by saving her
life from approaching death. I cannot hesitate longer than
perceiving that she was undoubtedly saved.
“I beg therefore your kind acceptance of two hundred ticals
for Dr. Bradley, who was the curer of her, and forty ticals
for Dr. S. R. House, who had some trouble in his assistance,
for being your grateful reward.
“I trust(ed) previously the manner of curing in the obstetric
of America and Europe, but sorry to say I could not get the
same lady to believe before her approaching (threatening)
death, because her kindred were many more who lead her
according to their custom. Your present curing, however, was
just now most wonderful in this palace.
“I beg to remain your friend and well-wisher,
“S. P. P. M. MONGKUT, _the King of Siam_.”
In September of the same year the two doctors were again called to
the palace to attend upon the queen-consort. A still-birth had left
the queen in a precarious condition, so that for more than a month
Dr. Bradley was in almost continuous attendance throughout the
day, while Dr. House took his place during the night. During this
occasion it was necessary for them to remain in the palace on the
Sabbath, and on that day the two missionaries availed themselves
of a privilege accorded by the king, who agreed that when it was
necessary for them to remain during Sunday they should have freedom
to conduct worship in the palace.
“There in that hall of the queen’s apartments in the inner
palace, to the interesting group around, Dr. Bradley read the
scriptures ... his auditors occasionally asking questions,
sometimes for information, sometimes in a carping way.”
But the queen was not improving; and at her request the foreign
doctors were permitted to leave and the Siamese court physicians
restored to their functions, administering their medicines prepared
from “sapanwood shavings, rhinoceros’ blood and the cast-off skins
of spiders.” After a day the American physicians were again called
in attendance, and although they judged the cause to be beyond
help, continued in constant attendance.
“September 25. For first time without exception since Monday,
September 13, am to sleep in my own bed at home—having
all other nights slept in my clothes at the royal palace,
relieving Dr. B. who has charge of the queen in his
attendance at night, his family requiring his presence then.”
The death of the queen occurred on the tenth of October. On this
occasion Dr. House was requested by the king to write a detailed
account of the late illness and death of the queen; and this,
together with matter of his own composition, the king had printed
for distribution.