Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-19
THE PRESIDENTS CONDITION,
ANOTHER SERIOUS RELAPSE,
but the Crisis safely Passed, and the
Patient nov Improving.

peraturo were both unusually high. People |
gave low whistle as they read the news and
muttered, II wonder what the doctors will
credit that to-" The cause soon appeared.
As in previous rises in fever, the trouble was
due to the retention of pus in the wound.
For some reason the dressing of the evening
before had been incomplete, and night and
morning of greater fever and discomfort had
been the result. The doctors were able to
locate and remove the trouble at the morning
dressing and after relief had thus been OBJ
tanned the President soon regained more
normal condition. The physicians had no
difficulty in treating the unpleasant incident,
but to guard against its recurrence they re-
turned for a short time TO the use of the drain
age tube. DIR. Bliss is suffering somewhat
from blood poisoning occasoned by slight
scratch received on one finger during an oper-
alton on the President.
On Sunday the Presidents condition was
no better. He was troubled with dyspepsia
and was unable to retain food rs well as he
had for two or three days previous. To this
the physicians attributed the fever, which
was as high in the evening as II had been
Saturday. During the latter part Of the night,
and the greater part of the day, he suffered
spasms Of vomiting and retching, and these
were so severe that even water was thrown
off when taken in the smallest quantities. At
the same time the wound began to discharge
less freely, and the physicians were confront
ed with the question whether internal absorp-
tion of the pus from the wound was not 60
ing on but il this was the case, it did not
show itself in any increase Of the temperature
| of the blood. On the contrary, that temper
ature was lower than it has been for several
days past, and showed no tendency to rise.
1t was the pulse that responded TO the violent
movements Of the stomach.
Monday nepOrt.-FrOnl Had so Worse
1.-The Pbysicians Alarmed.
Monday mornings bulletin recorded a
| pulse of l0S at noon it was 49, and at the
evening bulletin it was 130 There was n
brief temporary decrease at times during the
day, but the general tendency wes steadily
upward until at about O'Clock p. NJ, when
about a wne-glass full of hot water was CIV
en- him. This remained in his stomach, the
| first thing that had done so since Sunday at-
ternoon. Soon afterward his pulse went
down to 1870, and in n short time he fell asleep.
| He had slept but little during the preceding
| "a hours, and, of course, was by this time i'll
very exhausted condition. The desperate
| condition of the case was fully revealed to the
| public this afternoon, when 1t was announc-
ed that an attempt was being made to sus-
tain him by means of food injections. This
expedient was, however, futile. The Presi-
dent talked scarcely any during the day.
At the same time he carefully watched every
symptom and every move made by the doc
tors. 1t was evident to them that he felt it
necessary TO exercise more will power TO sus-
tain himself than on any previous day. There
were crowds around the bulletin boards
throughout the day, and at evening hundreds
| of anxious inquirers hemmed in the marching
sentries at the White House gates and besieged
all outcomers from the mansion. Secretaries
Blaine and Lincoln, who were out Of town,
were telegraphed for, and Vice President Ar
thur was kept constantly informed of the
| Presidents condition. As to the cause OF the
unexpected relapse, DR.. Bliss in conversation
with a reporter, said:
1.-The trouble is with the stomach alone.
1t is, to be sure, partly sympathetic, but his
physical condition has been much overrated.
He had not the physical vigor which the pub
lie has credited him with. His stomach, the
first three or four days after he was wounded,
gave us infinite trouble We had a most try
ing time, and we have exerted extreme eau
ton, and have always given him food our
selves ever since. The only food that has net
been weighed and measured out to him with
the utmost precision has been once or twice
at breakfast and even then one of us has
been present while he ate"
"How is the wound now z"
1.-The wound is somewhat affected by the
arrangement of the stomach. The discharge
from the main channel is not as full and free
as l wish it was, but, aside from the new diff
fculty, the wound is in good condition"
"Have you any suspicious of trouble from
the ball 2"
"None whatever Trouble of that nature
would manifest itself by increased tempera-
ture."
"what are you giving him for nourishment
now ?"
zone or two drachms of beef, with the
yolk of an egg and milk warmed. His food
is almost digested before it is administered,
and is readily taken up by the alimentary
canal People have been nourshed in this
way for 40 days without eating mouthful Of
food. We have given him quinine with two
of his injections today"
"Why quinine Does that indicate ma
liaria ?"
ooh, no We give it as tonic"
Some Hope on Tuesday.
The evening bulletin of Tuesday was as
follows: "The Presidents symptoms are still
grave, yet he seems to have lost no ground
during the day, and his condition on the
whole is rather better than yesterday. Ht
7 has vomited but once during the afternoon.
: The enemata are retained. At present his
, pulse is 100; temperature $50, and respira.
2 ton, 10. The vomiting was occasioned by
5 shifting the President from his back to his
] side. The matter expelled was entirely wa
l ter, of which he had partaken during the day
= to relieve his thirst. The condition of the
= wound was declared to be satisfactory, tn,
, discharge being ample.
At II P. NJ. the patient was sleeping quiet
ly.
Further Improvements wednesday,
The Patient Gaining Strength.
= The Presidents condition Wednesday wa
. more favorable than on the previous day anC
a a general feeling of reinsurance prevailed
DIR. Bliss said to a questoner "In M
: opinion this crisis has been safely passed, am
q the President will get we'll have never yet
= as you know, lost hope, and my faith is jus
titled by the outcome even IL my reason for
> had to be somewhat vague. There is no dis
i putting the fact that we have just bee
q through a crisis. Considering the weakness
v of the patient, it was, perhaps, the most i'm
. portant of those we have met since that fats
b I'd of July. 1t was a very grave one, and tn
"a Presidents peril was greater and more imm
n nent than ever before. A lost bullet, whe
g its position ought to be known, a pus cavit
y and an incipient peritonitis are bad enough
d but when, at period when a man needs a
the strength that can be mustered by til
most powerful effort the stomach, the orga
indispensable to his continued nourishmen
y gives way, he is indeed bad case. Thl
r. was the ground for our alarm. The Pres
l. dent needed strength sorely. He could nj
3 gain that strength without nourishment, an
I'd he could not take nourshment because Of Il
e rebellious stomach. In the nature of thing
ID if the stomach could not be toned up so thI
d it would retain and digest nourishment, IL
N Presidents strength must ooze out day
+. day until total exhaustion and consequel
IN death ensued The wound, you will not TO
IN get, has had nothing TO do with it. The tai
r. about blood poisoning, about the absorptiC
IL of pus by the vessels Of the stomach, is mol
O. sense. There is no foundation for it,"
"a Queen victoria 10 Mrs. Garfield, An
90 the Reply.
"a The following cablegram was received