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.