The Portland daily press., 1881-08-31
The Dangers Yet to Come.

The exciting source of all the alarming
symptoms which have from time to time APP
peared is of course the original wound. In all
consideration of the Presidents condition the
condition of that wound ought not to be over
looked. 1t appears evident that the bullet is
not encysted: if it were, there would be
nearer approach to healing. On the contrary,
it is now the opinion of the surgeons that the
ball has shifted its position, and the expecta-
ton, or more properly the hope, is that it will
work down through the pelvis and either
come out of the rectum or make its position
apparent in a position where it can be taken
out without perilous operation. But while it
is thus working its way through the muscular
tissues it is likely to be constant source OF
irritation, and to cause the formation of pus,
which must either have free issue or
it will form assesses and perhaps be
absorbed. The latest official reports of the
condition of the wound are entirely reassuring.
Last TUESDAYS noon bulletin reported that at
the morning dressing s'the wound looked well
and the pus wa of a healthy character. =
Wednesdays bulletin made no particular re-
ference to the wound, but that of the morning
after, speaking of the parotid swelling, re-
ported that "the other symptoms are quite as
favorable as yesterday" Thursday evenings
said, "No unfavorable change has been obser-
we'd in the condition of the wound" Friday
moons bulletin said, Ellis wound looks as we'll
as it has done for some time past" But DIR.
Reyburn is reported as saying that the charac-
as good as the night before, 1t was less in
quantity and it had a slightly watery appear
ance." He said: "The wound is in a healthy
state, but is not healing much, owing to the lack
of vitality from the backsets; but its condition
otherwise is altogether favorable"
The official bulletin of Saturday noon re-
ported that ono material change was observed
in the wound" Sundays noon bulletin said:
1.-THE wound looks rather less indOlent than it
has been doing for several days past" This
was the first official reference to any Incidence
of the wound, brit it admitted that for several
days the activity of the healing process had
been arrested, Notwithstanding that previous
statements about the wound up to that of
twenty-four hours before rad represented that
there was no change in its condition. The
noon and evenin gbulletins OF yesterday both re
port that there is no material change in the
condition of the wound. The unavoidable in
ference from this sequence of reports is that
the wound last week ceased to exhibit as favor
BILE progress as it had maintained for some
time previous, and has not yet recovered from
its ''indolence." 1t is well to bear this condi-
ton in mind for there appears to be tenden
cy to overlook the wound in the present joy
over the escape from the more immediate peril
of the condition of the paretid gland and the
improved general tone of the system. 1t is
greatly to be hoped that these favorable symp-
toms are not delusve, bat the experience of
the past six weeks should teach all not to trust
too implicitly to the sanguine expressions of
the surgeons in conversations. No official
bulletins have declared the President out of
danger, nor even expressed any degree of con-
fidence that he was getting well.