Stricken Hirohito Down to 66 Pounds

Emperor Hirohito has lost nearly 40 pounds in the two months since he fell ill and now weighs only 66 pounds, a palace official was quoted as saying Friday.

The 87-year-old emperor’s condition weakened Friday, but doctors speculated that a scab had stopped internal bleeding, said Imperial Household Agency spokesman Kenji Maeda.

Hirohito has suffered repeated bouts of bleeding but has not discharged blood in nine days.

The emperor responds to queries from aides but is “less talkative than before,” Maeda told reporters. He added that doctors sometimes have trouble determining whether Hirohito is awake.

News reports quoted Maeda as saying Hirohito has shed much of his normal 104 pounds during his confinement and now weighs about 66 pounds. Doctors have said he suffers from jaundice and anemia.

Since Sept. 19, when he was confined to intensive care after vomiting blood, Hirohito has received 42 pints of blood.

Palace officials have not given details on Hirohito’s illness, and they would not comment on Japanese news reports that the emperor has pancreatic cancer.