New-York tribune., 1881-09-13
A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.
ApPREHENsIONs GREATLY RELIEVED.

yIOUs DAY-OTHER SYMPTOMS ENCOURAGING,
BUT THE LUNG TROUBLE STILL CAUSING SOME
ANXIETY.
The condition of the President yesterday
showed decided improvement, the pulse and
temperature both being much lower than on
the previous day. The wound, it is not
doubted is healing finely, and other symptoms
are favorable. The trouble with the right lung
furnishes the only cause for anxiety. DR.. Bliss
is positve that no abscess has formed in the
lung. Two members of the Cabinet saw the
President yesterday, and were surprised to
find him looking so well. The patient saluted
n sentinel on duty at the Francklyn Cottage.
THE MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENT.
REASONS FOR NOT BELIEVING IN THE THEORY OF AN
ABsCEss IN THE LUNG-THE PATIENTS RECENT
GAIN OF VITALITY TO STAND HIM IN GOOD STEAD
FAVORABLE sYMPTOMS-vIsTrED BY CABINET
oFFICERs-sALUTING SENTINEL.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRtBUNE.l
LONG BRANCH, Sept. 12.-IIere at the seashore,
where the music of the surf is constantly filling
every ear and where the leisure moments OF sojourn~
ers spent in gazing away over the waves, all
imagery is borrowed from the The Presi-
dcnts case is comparable to "a bather the rising
tide. Now he is in the trough and anon riding high
upon an incoming billow, but with the passage of
every wave ho is swept little further toward solid
footing and with its subsidence he finds
himself not quite so near the bot
tom as before. There little sense
III the panic of last nj night-which to the great
prise of the best informed persons foundits way into
the morning papersas there in the over elation
OF this morning, caused by the morning bulletin and
the first reports from the sick room.
The President had no relapse yesterday. AS eX-
plaiued iii THE TRIBUNE dispatches development
which had been in progress eliminated last night,
and yesterday it discovered for a certainty,
l,ro- al
,pustulent character of the mucous discharge
from the throat had its origin in the lower
part of the lung and independent develop
ment and not as was at first presumed result of the
parotid swelling. The suspicion of this thing had
latterly been a strong one, and the step from
picon to certainty short, but it enabled the
physicians to speak with moro defniteness of
symptom which had for several days been cause
of anxiety. To newcomers their explanations and
remarks seemed to be descriptive of and ter
iibe thing.
The President slept more continuously last night
than any night since he was wounded. In the
night his lung trouble apparently eliminated and
with the return of daylight symptoms found
to be less decided and threatening We have
long been dealing with feather-weights and hair
breadths in describing the varying phases of the
Presidents illness, that point has been reached
where accepted medical terms not sufficiently
minute III their Specification fully to the pur
poses for which ordinarily they would answer. Up
the question whether an abscess has or has not
been formed in the lungs, even the doc
tors disagree If the term "abscess" be
understood to signify q sack swelling
of definite size and shape, filled with matter which
is seeking exit, there to believe that it
is mis- pplied in the present case The effects OF
confined pus have all been experienced in this case,
and the country we'll remembers the dread with
which the announcement of" rigors," nausea and
vomiting" was received as the precursor of prob
able fatality. Moreover to suppose an abscess in
the usual acceptaton of the tem is to suppose that
soue integunent exists beneath which matter
is in process Of formation, and which
confines it. In the present development
there has been neither nausea. vomiting,
rigoIs there has been sudden bursting and
excessive discharge. as would have been the case
with the elimination of an abscess, hut the
trary constant and gradually Increasing discharge,
which, in fact has given the patient much annoy
ance, as owing to feebleness, he was unable to
throw it of as easily az was desirable The
Presidents condition remains critical. Nobody
speaks otherwise and all statements of favorable
character are made with reservations. There has
however been a steady gain since he came to Long
Branch. While the lung affection eliminating,
Improvement was constant in other organs. The
catheter penetrates the wound only nine inches
while in the washing out the amount OF carbolized
water which suices to fit is less each time thanon
the l2stpTevious washing This method of measure
ment has shown gradual narrowing of the channel,
while the insertion of the catbeter is believed to show
decrease in the length of the channel. The paro-
ud swelling is practically healed Only one incison
remains open and from that very little pus
eXudes. The openings into the throat and ear have
bealed. The stomach continues obedient Quinine
has been given to eradicate possible malaria and
more lattery tonic, the fever by ITS Obstinacy
disclosing the fact that it not of malarial Ori-
gin. Shmulants in small quantities have been ad-
uiuistered recently it being deemed desirable to
afford temporary strength to the patient to enable
him To throw off more easily such deposits as re-
quired muscular effort in their election. The lung
affection has by means ceased to give
rise to anxiety. Other similar developments may
occur. If the theory that it is symptom Of some
form of chronic blood pOisouingbe correct alb scesses
may IOrm III other organs, and may be fatal. The
chances are however, on the side of recovery 1t is
believed that the President has accumulated a con
siderable store of vitality, and can now meet and
vanquish enemies which a week ago would have
been too strong for him.
One OF the chief reasons for my hope" said Col
Onel Rockwell this evening " is the confidence
of the President himself He has never for a
moment spoken or appeared like man who believed
he was soon to die"
The Postmaster-General and the Secretary of the
Navy called at different times this forenoon and
each expressed himself agreeably surprised by
the Presidents appearance His grasp of the hands
Of his visitors much iirncr and heartier than
business of their departments showed the normal
aearness of his intellect. railing the topo the
)orticO outside Of his window removed to-day
o give him an unobstructed view of The ocean. A
sentinel pacing his beat on the edge of the bluff
,azed earnestly up toward the sick room window as
le passed ana hOnored by military salute
Lom the hand of the President.
THE SYMPTOMS VERY FAVORABLE.