The Portland daily press., 1881-07-27
THE MEDICAL TREATMENT.

New YORK, July 26.-In an interview last
night in Washington, Surgeon General Wales
of the Navy said one piece of rib came out on
Sunday and two pieces on Monday.
In an interview in this city (New York; last
best talent and treatment available in the
country. DR.. Bliss is probably very fair sur
geon, but as to Barnes, don't think he has
seen gunshot wound since the Mexican war,
and as to Woodward, he has probably never
seen one in his life Wales was the best man
they had, and he was dismissed by Bliss
''In what respect has the treatment been
wrong?"
The surgeons have never made search for
the bullet, which wa the very first thing they
ought to have done, and they have never
made The slightest endeavor to extract the
bullet. They have evidently been afraid to
treat the President as they would treat an
ordinary man. and that is all wrong. 1t seems
the salvation OF the President has been
neglected" He referred to the instructions
OF the treatment of gunshot wounds by Sur
geon General Longmore of England, and said
these instructions had not been followed; that
an examination of the wound with a view to
obtaining a correct knowledge of its nature
andsextent, had not been done; that the
removal of any foreign bodies which may
have been lodged in the body had not been
done; that no diagnosis of the case has been
iIduo, uO ollOTb HAS D6ou IIldQo 10 aSCoI-
tain the direction of the bullet. DIR. Ham
mond says the bullet should have been cut out
and that would probably have done the Pres-
dent no harm.
DR.. Agnaw Vindicates the Treatment.
Dr. Agnew stated, before leaving Philadel-
phia for Washington yesterday. that the incis-
ion of the abscess ordered by the unanimous
vote of all the physicians in attendance has
brought about the most satisfactory results
"We shall now, see every reason to hope, be
able to control the drainage of the wound and
to ward off all danger of blood poisoning.
have no idea that this or any similar surgical
operation will have to be repeated. see that
am quoted in this evenings papers as having
become convert to the heroic treatment in
President Gar6eld's case. This is an error. I
see no present or past excuse for the eXtrac-
tion of the bullet. AS the case stands should
be very averSe to having it undertaken. In
the future, when convalescence has well pro-
crossed, it will be time to discuss that phase of
the case.'
''There seems to be considerable anxiety re-
| garding the threatened paralysis of the lower
limbs. doctor, do you fear any such RESULT"
"Not in the least. Mr.. Garfield is very
weak man. Think of the suffering he has en-
dEred during the past three weeks; but he is a
brave man, his own master in every sense Of
the word. There are no signs of paralysis;
weakness is one thing andsabsence of all feel
ing or control by the mind of the extremities
is another. No physician can mistake weak
ness for paralytic symptoms. If President
Garfield RECEIVERS, and the odds are absolutely
in his favor, he will be as hale and hearty as
ever. There is no reason, judging from expe-
rience, to believe that this wound will make
him an invalid"
Prof. Carnochan's Opinion.
Prof. John NJ Carnochan, surgeon-in- chief,
of the State hospital, last evening was reluc-
tant to speak on the condition of the Pres-
dent, but gave some opinions of the case after
some urging. He was decidedly of the opin-
ion that President Garfield was suffering from
pysemia In regard to pyaemia, he said, that
it is no uncommon thing for it to follow a
severe gunshot wound when the pus becomes
saculated. 1t is very dangerous thing to
have. The percentage of recoveries from
well-marked acute pyaemia after serious in
jury, particularly in broken down constita-
lions, is very small. 1t was undoubtedly the
proper practice, he thought, to make coun-
ter opening. The purulent deposit was much
below the orifce made by the bullet, and the
counter opening, from the force of gravitation
made the egress Of the pus much more free.
The bullet struck the upper edge of the
| eleventh rib and splintered it, and this splin-
| tering of the rib might have caused the addi-
| tional secretion of matter. All the symptoms
that have been observed might occur from a
mere flesh wound. The Presidents recovery,
DR.. Carnochan thinks, depends entirely upon
the success which the surgeons meet in fight
ing off the pyaemia. Acute pyaemia may de-
stroy life in from two to three days, but con-
situations not greatly broken down will some
times resist the influence of the blood poison
for number of days.