The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-07-29
The Presidents Condition.
THE STORY OF THE RELAPSE.

not see him OH Saturday, and it was
about settled that they might call on
Sunday. Secretary Blaine was admitted
for about ten minutes and there was
little general talk between them. Sud.
denly there fell upon this universal sat
isfaction over the situation the rumor
that the president had been taken with
chill, and that his symptoms were
very alarming. The bulletin was an
hour and half late, and it was accepted
as confirming the reports which had be-
come current. Many of these were
exaggerated, but the worst gained cre-
dence, and the city was plunged into q
state of great depression. There was
little comfort to be gained at the White
House. The shock had fallen as sud-
denly there as elsewhere. Those
watching through the night were look
| ing for the usual satisfactory morning
condition. The usual preparations for
dressing the wound and the examine
lions previous to the daily bulletin were
in progress when chill manifested it.
self and became almost at once 30 pro-
nounced as to cause the dressing of the
wound to be postponed. The surgeons
were at loss to account for the sudden
|
element, anxiety and alarm, such as it
has not experienced since the favorable
symptoms first set in. Meantime the
most sensational dispatches were going
to the country from those who reflected
the outside current of feeling, and re-
turn messages show that the excitement
was rising again in all the cities. From
10 O'Clock until 2 were exceedingly
anxious hours with every one, even the
surgeons. BY noon, however, the latter
had made up their minds that the
trouble was caused by the partial stop
page of the discharge from the wound.
This they believed they could correct,
and from this time they began to exhibit
confidence, and their bearing commune
Gated it also to those about them. DR..
Hamilton, lafter hearing the symptoms
of the case, did not think there was
cause for present alarm. The surgeons
previous to the arrival of Drs. Agnew
and Hamilton had partially restored the
flow from the wound, and soon after
four O'Clock DIR. Bliss had assured a
friend at the White House that he had
as much confidence then as at any pre-.
viCus time in the presidents full recoy-
cry. The consulting surg cons 500.
satisfied themselves the chill and accom-.
panying bad symptoms had been caused
by the partial checking in the flow OF
pus, and that it would be better to leave
the President undisturbed till morning
rather than excite and fatigue him by
an examination and attempt TO restnr !.
the full flow from the wound. All the
surgeons had agreed that there was no
new danger of blood poisoning. TIE
president was therefore left undisturbed
for the night.
| SKlLFUL OPERATION.
The first news of Sunday was that
DIR. Agnew had performed favorable
operation to relieve gathering of pus,
and that the surgeons were we'll satisfi-
ed with the result and with the condi-
ton in which the operation had left the
president. The examination which led
to the operation had revealed the exis.
tence of a pus cavity three or four inches
within the wound. This was reached
by an incision made about three inches
below the opening of the wound at a
little less than two inches. The cavity
was reached and the accumulated pus
was discharged. This cavity is describe
ed as partial abscess formed at an
evident change in the direction of the
track of the ball, and the cut now gives
more direct discharge from the deeper
portions of the wound than the openino
where the ball entered. The operation
was very quickly and skillfully perform
ed by DR.. Agnew. The moment he he.
gan to make the examination there was
great interest among the surgeons, both
on account of the gravity of the occasion
and his great skill. He detected il
speedy, pointing out its location, and
said to the others that he would risk his
professional reputation upon striking
1t with his knife the first time. 1t was
soon determined to perform the opera.
ton. The president did not wish TO
take cloroform or ether, and so il was
determined to depend entirely upon the
exterior use of the spray of ether to
deaden the pain. The first stroke of
the knife discharged the abcess. II Law
a little less than two inches from the
surface. The relief to the president
was very great, and he spoke of II &c
greater than any other which he had
experienced from the first, After the
operation the Presidents general con-
ditlon soon began to improve. DIR.
hamilton said that he regarded the
presidents condition as eminently ell
couraging, and that he could not express
more in long talk. DIR. Reyburn said
at the same time that he regarded the
president as back where he was before
the relapse, with the exception that
there had been loss of strength. The
case seems to be capable of being sum-
med up in the statement that a small
abcess has appeared, and been sucese-
fully removed, without serious results
to the patient.
THE NEW OUTLET.
1t should be borne in mind that tbe
inner end of the bullets channel is vet
lower down in the body than the ne w
outlet made, and the danger of similar
assesses is very great, and, should one
be formed further from the surface Of
the body, the difficulty in treatinpit will
be proportionately increased. II has
been suggested that should an abscess be
formed near the bullet, it will be nee
essary to cut both abscess and bullet ont
at all hazards and drain the wound from
the lower end from the front instead of
the npper end as at present. The dis
charge from the wound after the opera
ton, while described as free, was moi as
satisfactory as the physicians could have
wished. The presidents condition is |
still very serious.
RAPID JOURNEY.
DR.. Frank ii. Hamilton of New York |
city, one of the two consulting pbysi- |
clans, received despatch summoning
him TO Washington at his house, at / 80 |
p. m. 1t took him only ten minutes 10 |