There's a scene in the film where the King is speaking with Mr. Pitt outside, by a stone wall. Their conversation is interrupted when the King drops his pants to take a crap. I'm not sure if this is before or after his treatment with Dr. Willis. What's the deal?
shareBefore, definitely.
shareMy question is WHY?
shareNot sure I understand... A stage direction at this point in the play says he's 's***ting himself helplessly'. Early scenes emphasize the tremendous formality of the King's relationship with Pitt - Pitt having to walk backwards down that very long corridor, bowing - and this is one of those scenes which emphasizes the breakdown of this formality (or even of the sort of formality which characterizes most people's lives) because of the King's dementia.
There were a lot of physical symptoms that accompanied the King's attack of porphyria: one of the reasons he was always tearing off his clothes was because his skin became hyper-sensitive. Another symptom was him losing control over his bowels.
thanks, now i get it.
share"My question is WHY?"
When you've got to go, you've got to go.
It's better out than in, what what?
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The doctors prescribed blistering (the painful procedure with the hot glass vases on his back) and purging. Purging meant using laxatives to make the patient poop, which they thought at the time would get rid of the bad "humours"
"Enough of that technical talk, Foo!"
I've had the hot glass treatment - it's not painful at all if done properly. The aim is to create a partial vacuum inside the glass, not to make it burning hot.
share