Courageous Empress

The Tenno (Emperor) of Japan is held sacred and sublime, a being directly descended from the Sun Goddess, and himself divine. Who would dare to jab a hypodermic into the flesh of such a being?

So far as is known, none have ever dared give an hypodermic injection to a Tenno of Japan; but last week despatches told the epic circumstances under which an injection was administered to the late Tenno Yoshihito during his last illness (TiME, Jan. 3 et ante).

The Imperial physicians came in a body to the Empress Sadako, now the Dowager Empress. They besought her for authority to employ this forbidden remedy upon the sacred person of His Majesty. Enlightened, courageous, the Empress Sadako took upon herself the heavy responsibility of authorizing for the first time a procedure hitherto regarded by Japanese in the nature of a sacrilege. Happily, success crowned the undertaking.