Letter to the Empress Catherine II on the death of Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeevna:
"God wills it was. What! But I can say that there was nothing to miss, that only the human mind and the art could devise to save her. But there were concurrence of different unfortunate circumstances that have made this case almost unique in the world.
Grand Duke of Quasimodo (April 10, 1776) morning at four o'clock came to me and announced that the Grand Duchess was suffering from midnight, but as the pangs were not strong, it hesitated to wake me. I got up and went to her and found her in decent condition, and stayed with her until ten o'clock in the morning, and saw that she still has no direct meal, went to get dressed, and her back in 12 hours. By the evening meal was so strong that at any moment expecting her permission. And then when it except the best in the city of her midwife, Countess Ekaterina Mikhailovna Rumyantseva, her camera-in-waiting, the Great Duke and me, there was no one, the same doctor was in the front. Night all gone, and pain were the variables with sleep: sometimes rose and sometimes fell as she saw fit. Another day we spent in the same way, but were intended Cruz and Thode, who followed the advice of his midwife, but without success to be our good hope. On Tuesday, the doctor demanded Rogerson and Lindeman, because my midwife gave up the chance. On Wednesday, Thode was admitted, but nothing could preduspet. Child was dead, but the bones remained in the same situation. On Thursday the Grand Duchess was to profess, intermingled and oil extreme unction, and on Friday betrayed the soul to God.
I and the Grand Duke, all five days and day and night were hopeless at it. After the death of the opening of the body was found that the Grand Duchess from childhood had been damaged, that the spinal bone was not only as S, but the part that should be arched, concave, and was lying on the back of the head child? That the bones were four inches in circumference and not could have opened a child in the shoulders was nine inches. Also appertaining joined other circumstances, of which no examples. In a word, such coincidence is not allowed nor mother, nor child of staying alive. My sorrow was great, but who have betrayed the will of God, now we need to think about the award of loss".
