The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-03

sparingly; wound IN the small intestines e not
necessarily fatal, not 80 much 30 a. wound In the
recovery from such wound; have heard OF tn
cised wounds In and operations the small intes-
tines N which there have been recoveries.
To the District Attorney-Where the small and
large intestines are perforated a. IN this case, the
chance or recovery Is very small; have heard 0i
case where there was recovery where the POST.
mortem examination, some years later, showed
extensive perforati0ns to have occurred, and the
patient recovered, but there ia some dou1 on this
case.
Mr. Townsend here read certain cases from the
report Of the Surgeon Generals repsrts OF the abb
dominal wounds and at the close OF the gst asked
O. Do you not consider that Q case o. wounding
of the small intestinesf A.. Yes, but not Of how
many wounds there were In them.
e Would You consider the amount Of shock ga as
siri nor would 1t be strange for q man to walk up
stairs and talk after such severe SHOCK
In the abdomen, on which the Doctor gave his gen.
era opinion that most OF the cases were cases OF In
Jury to the colon while he had already conceded
tatny fatal.
o. DO you coincide with Dr. Wood that none but
aemsn A. Yes should not go e 50 far as to to say
that any abrasion OF the fntestines was likely to be
fatal, but even q slight abrasion might produce
great trouble; have heard OF the case OF DIR.
Phelps, and have learned from the papers that he
is now walking about; consider quiet very impor-
Q. At the caucus the doctors had was any one
present but the medical mens A. None at the
first; do not know what was done at Dr. woods
cases are In the Surgeon Generals report shows
them to be
there are cases where the brain has been pierced
without killing; in st. Martins case the stomach
was laid open without killing; these are all excep
was done; the probe did not enter the cavity; the
last conversation had with Fisk was from twenty
was then he asked for glass OF wator.
To Mr.. TOwnsend-Th0se cases are not oil the
cases reported; those were only cases during the
TO the District Attorney-I remember but nine
such cases during the whole war.
TESTIMONY OF DR.. SAYRE
DR.. Lewis A. Sayre was the next Witness and
testfed--I have been forty-two years physician
and surgeon, and have been connected with Belle.
Hospital for fifteen years as visiting surgeon;
saw Mr.. Flax about nine O'Clock In the evening; he
was lying on his back and complaining, as he said,
get rid Of; took no notice Of the wound in the
arm; looked at the wound In the abdomen, and
after looking at the scene OF the shot | concluded
ball there, but made no further examination; from
his extreme pallor felt certain that he would
DIE FROM A SHOCK.
from the severe injury to his internal organs; his
friend Mr. Archer, thought that was natural TO
him, but did not his whole capillary system was
sent for ana his affairs settled; that was about all
the prescription gave; opium was proper rem
edy and some stimulant ! saw N MIN again near
cessation OF Opiates and the administration Of
brandy and water; think some one went In and
counted his respiration and pulse; was particular
In examining his eye; It's pupil was normal; II his
sleep had been the result OF Opiates 1t would have
been contracted; gave myself no further uneas-
ness about the opiates; saw him next morning
when he was sinking very rapidly; his wound was
about nve inches above the umbilicus; the disten-
sion of the body after death made slight change
In the measurements; he died from shock; there
was some peritOnitis, not enough to cause death |;
he never fairly rallied from the shock Occasioned by
the wound to the great sympathetic Nerves shock
Is O blow to the nervous system, and that portion
oft on which depends nutrition, development and
growth.
To Mr.. Townsend-I don't remember who told me
where he was shot; think 1t was a servant who
person who fired the shot stood and the step OF the
stairs where Fisk was at the moment ne received
o. And you drew from that the conclusion that he
wouldn't die A. didn't do anything OF the
kind; my object In looking at that was to find out
where to look for the ball without any unnecessary
examination; drew my conclusion from the APP
pearance Of the man, his pallor his anxious look,
his want Of capillary circulation; he had lost little
blood and there was no reason for loss OF strengths
1t was from this fact, indeed, that drew my con-
clusOn that he would die; there was nothing par
s hs G
from loss Of blood. but from some internal injury;
Mr.. Tweed and Mr.. ID. D. Field were there; they
l saw him again at six A. M; his breathing about
fourteen, his pulse at one hundred; told him to
have his will drawn.
O. Would that have a good efYecta A. don't
suppose very good effect nor very bad effect
when the man is to die certain; think i settles
to have their affairs settled, and 1t does no harm to
tell to settle his affairs II 1t IL done properly;
he was not very much distended after death.
O. If the probe were introduced four inches, and
after death the distended body shOwef an external
wound four inches long, would 1t not be proof that
No; the difference between the length in life and
death would be inappreciable; there is no vacuum
In the abdominal cavity.
knife might but can't see how round probe
could do It; you would make no cavity unless you
O. Would 1t not make a cavity where air might
enter A. Not more than the wound; when saw
drops Of Maendie g extract Is not too large dose
simultaneous administration acts quicker; the med
icne has not to go through the stomach; surgeons
prefer It because 1t Is more prompt and they know
what they arc about, and avoid nauseating the
stomach; don't know what amount OF Opiate was
nai pc advised to sop the at
twelve O'Clock the eyes were normal, and that Is
what makes me doubt.
In shock rom slight wound A. Yes, Sir.
q. Could you tell after death whether 1t had &C.
Cured from 0ums A. Yes his pupils would SS be
after six A.. M: there may be larger efrasion Of
blood in the brain, lungs and heart but that Is not
certain nothing but q chemical analysis Of the
stomach would show; there was evidence OF in
nammatlon Of the peritOneum: attended the post
norton; did not see much blood extravasated
one OT TWO OuuCeS pcIuNpSy uOt cuOuBil W pTOuuCc
prOstratiOn; the peretOnitis was low down on the
left side, about thirteen inches nom the 0rces OF
the wound; you could not perfOrate the perit0neum
without Inflammation at the point; perltonitis
spreads by diffusion,
TO the District ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in the way he
was he would have died anyhow
BY the Court-Was there any evidence at the post
mOrtsm examination OF injuries done from the
probing. A. No SIR
O. Gould there have been any injuries done nom
the probing and not be observed by the Doctors.
A. No sir Impossible.
The Court here took q recess for half an hour.
After Recess.
On the reasscmbling OF the Court Mr. Lyman
Tremain asked permission to call witness for the
defense. He said that the District Attorney and he
had agreed that H the Court had no objections, the
evidence could now be taken. The witness resides
nj Rhode Island, and 1t would be inconvenlent for
him to ftifian The Court consented, and the fol-
lowing witness was exaE..ned:-
FIRST WITNESS FOR THE DEFENCE.
Mr.. George II. Smith, examined by Mr.. McKeOn,
-G.Ail 10 nj 20. mi