Daily Republican., 1881-08-09
NOT 50 WELL.
President Garfield Mas to Undergo
Another Operation to Relieve a
Pus Cavity-The Patient now
Doing Well.

geons, who have of course been watcl
ing the gradual increase of fcbri
symptoms in the President for thrt
days past, came to the concusi IN la.
night that the real cause would beCom
clear by this morning, and that Il prt
cautionary operation to provide agains
any checking of the flow of pas nigh
become necessary. They were not i
the least alarmed by the symptoms
and looked upon them as such rs nigh
be expected, but. at the same time, sue
as could be readily cared for. Prepara
tions were made last night to make tn
cut early this morning. provided it wa
then deemed necessary The closes
examination of the pus at the evcnin,
dressing failed to show any evidence 0
an abscess. II was determined tha
DIR. Agnew should make Il searchin,
examination this morning Asa rrsnl
il was agreed that the incision mad
before Should be heightened, and trou
its lower point Il new opening into TIN
track of the wound be made. Thi
would enable TIE pus from the deepe
parts Of the wound to flow below tn,
twelfth rib, instead of, as heretofore
escaping above it. The wound, from
its mouth to the junction with the tirsl
incision, has nearly healed, and all dis
charge is now through the first incsion
This in turn was beginning to granulatt
at its point, and this somewhat impeded
the free flow of pus. The second cut
was undertaken about nine o'clock, and
occupied, including the re-arrangemen,
of drainage tubes, about an hour The
morning condition of the President WAS
very favorable for the operation. Near.
y all traces Of fever had disappeared.
The pulse was "a, and Temperature %. 4.
The President was also found to be
strong enough to justify the inhalation
of ether, though it WAS not administer
ed until be was insenslbIe. The spray
of a rapidly evapora'iug subsistence more
etiectnal than the spray of ether was
used on the flesh. The operation was
performed tv Drs Agnew and Bliss.
It's character and the REASONS for it
were fully explained TO the president.
He was very willing to have it perform
I'd and unite cheerful at the idea of
the good effects expected from it. The
doctors have always found him anxious
to submit to anything they may decide
will be hest for him. He has indomlti,-
BILE will in all these matters, and they
have often remarked to each other that
he is an exceptional patiently sufferer.
A son of DR.. Bliss, also ply sician,
who was present at the operation this
morning, thus describes it: "The cut
was made Just belo~ the twelfth rib
The first cut was made above that rib
The drainage will now flow under thai
rib I'nt the two cuts are in such close
proximity that, at cur ory glance
they look like one opening. The flow
of blood was not great. The President
recovered very nicely from the effects
of the etherization.
In fact he rallied in remarkably
short time, and at once asked for Il full
account of what had been done. This
was given him. In reply toa question
the President said that once or twice
only he had experienced slight pain.
Soon after the operation he fell asleep
EXECUTIVE MANSION, l p. M
The necessity for the operation which
was performed upon lhe President this
morning became apparent to tho sur
geonS yesterday, when they found that
= drainage tube of tho size hitherto
used could no longer be PASSED along
the track of the ball between the ribs.
The process of granu'atiOn al that point
had gone so far rs to partially close the
ritice, and the ribs prevented the push
ing aside of the flesh which was heal
ing between them enough so that the
4. \ y 4 /, ,,t. Il ..,l
The result of this state things was
that pus formed in he deeper parts Of
the wound rather faster than it could
escape Though the halfobstructed
opening between the ribs, aud its gra-
dual accumulation began to cause dis.
1t was, therefore, decided to
make new opening into the track OF
the ball below the last rib, 50 that the rib
should no lor ger prevent the keeping
open of the wound hy the solid backing
which they ati'or,,ed to the granulating
flesh between them. The operation was
at the request Of the Otller
surgeons, by DR.. Agnew. AS soon As
The patient had been put under the in
tuerce of ether, u long and slightly
curved instrument was Introduced into
the wound, pushed between the ribs
and carried downward alon. the track
Dt the bullet until its end could he felt
below the last rib from the outside.
this instrument in the wound
as q guide, DR.. Agnew then maue u
counter incision below the twelfth rib,
cutting directly through the integl-
nent until his knife met the end of the
first mentioned instrument at the point
where he,wished to intersect the track ct
the ball.
The operation was not di ificult or
dangerous one, and the patient here
both it and the herizatiOn extremely
well. There is now an opening to the
deeper parts of the wound, which does
not pass between the ribs, and which
can always be kept free and unobstruct-
ed, and no further trouble from the ac-
cumulation of pus is anticipated. Since
the operation the President has rested
quietly, and is now asleep. His rulsc
1T his hour is 100, and he has neither
fever nor any other unfayorable symp-
TOMS.
AFTER THE OPERATION.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, August 81
20 y. m. The President has felt rather
weaker this afternoon than usual, and
has experienced some nausea as y result
Of hs mornings etherization. On the
whole, however, he has rallied well
from the operation, and the surgeons
report his condition as satisfactory. His
pulse is little higher than yesterday
at this hour, but as there is hardly any
perceptible fever the rise Of pulse is at
tributed to the gastric disturbance
caused by the ether. The nausea has
now passed away, and the patient is
resting quietly.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, August 81
D. IN. After the last bulletin was issued
the President suffered somewhat for IA
time from nausea, due to the ether, but
this has now sub~ided. He has had sew.
eral refreshing maps, and his general
condition is even better than IN chit
have been expected after the etheriza.
lion and operation. At noon his pulse