The National tribune., 1881-09-24

WERE NOT IN THE POSITION TO DltIalE
anything as to the treatment of the patient 1t
is not surprising therefore, that they knew only
such points of the case it had occurred to the
physicians in charge to communicate to them.
Whether the advice of such eminent surgeons
as Apnew and Hamilton would have been diff
ferent from what it was on that eventful occasion
had they known this important factor of the
cOmminuted rib, with its attendant cOmplica-
tons arising from spicula of bone, it is perhaps
impossible now to say. At that time very
little was heard of the rib fracture, but much
speculation was induged in as to the locality
of the ball. Whether it had continued directly
through the vital parts had passed down
ward, or had passed forward and around
through the integument, i'll course of few days
became the all-absorbing question in the dis
cuSSion of the physicians On the morning of
the 9th of July the pulse for the first time fell
low as 9S in the morning and only touched
104 in the evening; and upon the 7th the leading
physician in attendance declared the chances are
MORE THAN EVEN FOR HIS RECOVERY"
Previous to this time they had said there was
but one chance in a hundred, and upon the Presi-
dent asking what his show for life was he was
told this fact, and quietly remarked if there was
but the one chance he would take that chance
From the 18th to the 10th there was a slight
improvement, and with that it was declared
officially that the President was on the road
to convalescence' Still the doctors on the 18th
reported, in reply to question of District At
torney COrkhill that they "were not prepared
to say recovery is certain" and the case of the
murderer was put over by the court on that
account. On the 21st it confidently pre-
dicted "that the President will be up in two
weeks" by the attending physicians; but on the
23d all Of a sudden, there was serious relapse
of the most alarming character. He had rigor
and chills and perspiration, which to outside
physicians surely indicated that the patient
SHOWED SYMPTOMS OF PYENTIA
Drs Agnew and Hamilton were hurriedly sent
for again, and on the Goth it was discovered
that pus cavity had been formed some three
inches below the spot where the ball had
entered and this complication was relieved
by DR.. Agnew by a skillful use of the knife,
making an incision some two inches deep
below the mouth of the wound, which released
quantity of about two ounces of imprisoned pus.
The next day, for the first time. the gravity of
the communion of the rib was developed, and
DR.. Agnew at the morning dressing removed
with his fingers and forceps a number of sharp
splinters of bone which had been, it was believed
up to this time, the aggravating cause of the
large pus discharge and the formation of the
pocket which had necessitated the incision. The
operation was a severe one, but was borne with
out etherization. the patient being relieved SIM
ply by an application of carboic spray to the
parts to which the knife was applied The Pres-
dent was very much weakened by the shock of
this treatment, and to such an extent was it mani
fest that it showed in his voice, his accelerated
pulse and general debility. On the 9th of July.
however
THERE WAS \ MARKED IMPROVEMENT,
and on August = the President had so far recov-
cred that the attending physicians once more an
nounced that he was on the road to health Au-
gust the febrile symptoms We're such as to again
excite attention, and the Sth still another sur
gical operation, which DR.. Agnew termed "radi-
cal" one, was deemed necessary. 1t was ascer-
tanned then, definitely, as stated by the attend
ing physicians that the track of the bullet had
turned from its downward detection to a for
ward course ust at the lower edge of the twelfth
rib, and an incision made beginning where
the first one started, the knife being passed for
ward and downward some three inches, meeting
the track of the wound below the twelfth rib |
This time owing to the severity Of the operation
which lasted an hour, and to the increased
strength of the patients stomach, ether was ad-
In addition to the inhalation of the |
an9sthetic the patients back was benumbed with |
rgorline spray. The effect Ofthe etherization was
most disastrous. Nausea and vomiting succeeded |
and it was many days thereafter before the stom-
ach, naturally in diseased, dyspeptic condition.
regained strength sufficient to retain nourishment
in proper way. From this time on may be |
traced the rapid
DECLINE OF THE PRESIDENTS VITALITY
Still the doctors thought from the symptoms |
of the patient within the next two three days |
that the operation had been successful in it's re-
suits, and indeed the patient did rally to such an
extent that on the 9th of August he wrote his
name for the first time with pen. On the 10th
he signed an important extraditiOn paper the
only official act performed during his illness. On
the 18th he wrote letter to his aged mother, in
which he expressed his confidence in his ultimate
On the 18th Dr. Hamilton expressed
the opinion that the presence of himself and Dr..
Agnew was unnecessary. Still there was an al
most unaccountable weakness of the stomach
which increased on the 18th, and on the 18th
came nausea,
VOMITING, AND PHYSICAL PROSTRATION,
and the council of physicians admitted in the