Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1881-07-28
THURSDAY. JULY Is, 1851.
The Presidents Condition.

The progress Of the President towards
recovery has been so steady that the public
had grown strong in the faith that no UNI
favorable symptoms would be likely To arise
SATURDAY. however, the startling news was
received that he had had a relapse He was
attacked with chIlls. has pulse run up to a
high figure, with correspondingly high tenn
perature and respiration. The consulting
physicians were summoned BY telegraph TO
Washington and state Of alarm existed
second only to that occasioned b, the re-
ceipt Of the news Of the dastardiy assault.
An examination o: the wound by the physi-
clans showed that the alarming symptoms
were due to an obstruction Of the channel
of the wound through which the discharge
OF pus passes and the consequent forma-
ton Of 4 pus sac OF absce,,. To relieve
this an operation was decided on. SUNDAY
morning, and Dr. Agnew. Of Philadelphia.
was asked 10 perform it. The Press report,
give the following description Of the opera
lion and It's beneficial results.
The examination made earlier in the
morning had determined the exact location
OF the pus cavity. All that remained TO be
done vas to perform the operation. \ smal.
SPRAY o: ether was al hand. with which TO
drenoh the surface Of the new wound made
by the lncIsIun. IN order 10 dcalcn the sen
slbiLues Of these nerves and somewhat ale
vlate the pam, but that irif.ug application
Of ether did not IN any way tend 10 create
uuconsciousness, nor did II much alleviate
the pain The expert operator made no
mistakes. The first thrus; Of the knife
reached the spot, and the President never
moved muscle nor uttered q word Of com
plant. although the pain must have been
intense. The knife had hardly reached the
cavity when instant relief Was given, and
the President with q >.gh Of gratitude. said.
Thank You, doctor. There came from
tins cavity a very considerable Scharsc o.!
pus Of an extremely offensive odor, and
with Il two small fragments Of the sp.IH,crel
rib. The odas Of the pus the doctors >a,.
was to be expected from the confinement
there, a. the cavity had. doubtless been
forming for thu two or three DAYS Of last
week during which the temperature had
been gradually r>lng. and the character o!
thc pus was such that, WhVe It showed no
present Indications Of blood poisoning, il
also showed that unles, the cavity had been
speedily empiied. blood poisoning mus, IN
eyitab.y have soon begun. The symptoms
Of SATURDAY we're undoubtedly those Of
blood poisoning, and we're the prelim.nar,
indications Of hat would have followed
had not the quick decision and the skilled
knife Of DIR. AgueW ayerted. for the present
al least, that terrible danger. The opera
ton having been performed, the President
vas made as comfortable a. possible, but he
seemed very mach exhausted. During the
operation the pulse reached high point.
but ii very speedily fell. directly the relief
incident 10 the opening Of the cavity was
gwen
The new opening was made on the back,
shout three inches below the wound and i
about one and half inches in depth. The
discharge through this opening j, free and
the condition Of the President is now stead
lily improving. Hope and anxiety 90 hand
in hand and the PRAYER, Of all are tina,
nothing further viii occur to obstruct the
steady progress Of the President towards
complete recovery.