The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-08-16
The Illness of Governor BrOugh.

Commercial gives the following interesting
facts in regard 70 the illness of Governor
Brough:
As soon as the serious character of his
indisposition became known great apxiety
was manifested ON the subject, by officials
in Washington, and the attendant physi-
clan was importuned, almost daily, for de-
tailed accounts Of his condition. The
following letter, from Surgeon General
Barr to the Secretary of War, gives an in.
telligent as well az professional history of
the case 70 the time of IFS date, which was
late in July:
LHon E. NJ. Stanton, Secretary of War,
Washington City
"SIR: From your kilograms Judge that
you have fels much interest in the case of
Governor Brougb, and much anxiety for
his recovery. have, therefore, taken the
liberty to explain his condition little more
fully than 1 can do by telegraph. To be
brief, In the first place he had been much
broken down by over-lsbor and anxiety
since the death of President Lincoln,
About five or six weeks since he slightly
injured his foot by stepping on small peb-
bic one evening-sn injury which be sup
posed TO be simply q bruise or sprain of
the foot, and to rest that foot walked about
for 8 week sitter, leaning heavily on cane,
which produced the same condition in his
left hand. Violent Inflammation of the
periosteum and entire cellular structure
of both hand and foot followed, with pha-
gsdenic sloughing and gangrene of the soft
| structure, which was followed with much
irrjtatiEe fever and deterum desth Of some
of the bones of the tees, and also frequent
hemorrhages from sloughing of small srte-
ries and enormous Assesses in different
parts of the limbs snd body. He was at
his homo in Cleveland at the time of the
most violent onset of the attack. Not sp-
pretending SO serious q matter, 1 had,
three days before he telegraphed me to see
him, advised him TO 20 home and rest, and |
nurse his sores. Immediately on seeing |
him the first time, on consultation with his |
family physician, l advised free, Deep nu-
merous incisions in his hand and foot
These gave him great relief, but owing 10
the condition of his system and the viru-
lency OF the sttsck, much slOughing and
frequent hemorrhSges followed; and, as
suppose, by absorption, morbid material
through the lymphAiics, or from great pros
trstion or poverty Of blood, followed these
terrible assesses.
By the most perfect ventilation of his
apartments, diligent use of sntiseptics,
with free use of wines and iron, with
nutricious diet, have been sbls 70 keep
life in him. To day the slOughIng process,
for the second time, seems 70 be arrested st
all points, and the process of granulstion
and suppurstion seems fairly commenced
and his general condition as favorable and
comfortable as could be expected.
"Very respectfully,
@Your obedient servant,
"R n. BARR"
Immediately on receipt of the above
letter, Mr.. Stanton sent to General Barr
the following dispatch: stu
"WAsHNeTON, July 2s 1855. -
HSurgeon General Barr, Cleveland, Ohio
any interest in Governor Brough is so
great that desire every possible effort to
be made 70 save hun. The war has afford
ed much experience in the treatment of
the disease under which he lsbors, and al
though Surgeon General Barnes approves
entirely Of the treatment mentioned In
your note received this morning, and
thinks every thing has been done the case
admits of, have requested him to detail
Surgeon Judson, who has had great deal
of experience in such cases, 70 proceed inn
|
You. This will, l hope, be agreeable to
YOU, and, st sll events, is all that can do
TO serve 3 valued friend and public officer.
"EDwIE NJ. STANTON
HSecretsry OF War"
Feeling the responsibility of his position
in charge of the case, General Barr well
coined the rendered assistance most cordi-
silly, and since that time the two, in con-
junction with the family physicians Of the
Governor, have been almost literally Sleep
less in their attentions. Some two weeks
since, the Governor was seized with terri
bic congestive chill, during which himself
and attendants believed he was dying, but
he subsequently rallied. An exsminStlon !
showed tbet the dark spots indicating gan
CREME of the foot had sgain appeared, and
the case seemed indeed hopeless, After
DIR. Barr placed the patient
under the influence of chloroforn, and I
made several deep incisioDs of the knife
which resulted in srTesting the progress of
the gangrene. The deceased hand has since 4
entirely healed, and the foot shows marked ]
indications of returning soundness. Still
80 great is the prostrstion of the patient
that all the announcement that the physi-
clans dare auther is that with no iurlh
relsDse his case is not without hope. For
some weeks the Governor hiss been IRA
tional from the effects of the disease, but
with lucid intervals in which his intellect e
shines out with all its accustomed clear
ness, and in which for q short time he gives
his attention to the more pressing thonghts
TO the duties of his office. He II
has not, however, been able to engage IN 4
the actual transaction of business, except
in one or Two instances for several weeks. |
For two or three days his rest has been
much better than heretofore, and the ab-
scesses, alluded TO in General Bars letter,
have entirely ceased, after upwards OF forty
had been developed. The Governor is, of
course, greatly reduced in flesh, and his
limbs show, in their attenusted form, how
severe has been the encounter between life
and the disease.
II is reported that the Wisconsin river Is
A perfect raft of sawed lumber. Millions