Editing Pope Leo XIII (section)

==Health==

[[File:Leo XIII, 1887.jpg|thumb|170px|Pope Leo XIII in 1887]]

At the time of his election in 1878, the pope had started to experience a slight [[tremor]] in his hand due to a poorly undertaken [[bloodletting]] procedure for a previous malady.<ref name=TL/>

In March 1899, it had been believed that the pope was gravely ill and that he was nearing death. Originally, it was presumed that the pope was suffering from a violent case of [[pneumonia]] and that the alarm was raised regarding his health. However, it was soon discovered that the reason for the pope's illness was the sudden [[inflammation]] of a [[cyst]] which had been troubling him for almost thirty years and which had never been previously removed. The only reason it had never been of any particular concern was due to incisions designed for pain relief. While Leo XIII strongly rejected the notion of surgery at first, he was persuaded by Cardinal [[Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro]] that it was necessary to ensure his good health. Before the pope was taken for surgery, he asked that his chaplain celebrate Mass in his private chapel while the operation was taking place. Reportedly, the cyst removed "was the size of an ordinary-sized orange".<ref name=TL>{{cite web|url=https://newspapers.bc.edu/?a=d&d=pilot18990325-01.2.3&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------|title=The Illness of His Holiness|publisher=The Pilot|date=25 March 1899|author=|accessdate=21 February 2022}}</ref><ref name=IDP>{{cite journal|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673601506704|title=The Illness and Death of the Pope|journal=The Lancet|date=25 July 1903|author=|volume=162 |issue=4169 |pages=253–255 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(01)50670-4 |accessdate=21 February 2022}}</ref>

Towards the end of his life, Leo XIII resorted to using a gold-headed cane when going on walks, as he often found it difficult to do so. While Leo XIII was certainly able to walk without it, he only walked without a cane if he truly felt comfortable doing so. When there were ever rumors about his health, Leo XIII was known to mischievously walk about briskly to dispel the rumors.<ref name=LAT>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/lifeofleo1300milluoft/lifeofleo1300milluoft_djvu.txt|title=The life of Pope Leo XIII: containing a full and authentic account of the illustrious pontiff's life and work|publisher=|author=James Martin Miller|date=1908|accessdate=21 February 2022}}</ref>