New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-04
SURGICAL ASPECT or THE PRESIDENTS
CASE

The intense anxiety of the public concerning
the condition of the President is if possible,
increased by the varying statements placed On
the bulletin boards. The official bulletins of
the attending surgeons have been during the
last twenty four hours reassuring, but many
| other accounts are published which throw
doubt upon the former 1t is fair to presume
that the statements signed by the attendants
give the real facts so far as they think proper
to express any opinion, and that the other
| kilograms are tho result of private in
quiries of anxious friends, whose fears
distOrt the remarks of the surgeon, who
may himself have been guided in his I'M
guarded utterances by his temperament, san
guine or gloomy, rs the case may be. Opinions,
too, would naturally differ according as they
were based upon the present appearances of
the case or upon the general experience in
| similar cases.
The injury of the President, rs described by
Dr. Bliss, is a gunshOt wound which, pene-
trating the abdominal cavity from behind
traverses in part the right lobe of the liver
the ball being lodged in the latter. Gunshot
wounds Of the abdomen are among the most
serious injuries known to surgery and when, as
in the case of the President. an important organ
Is involved the danger is increased. That the
result is not uniformly fatal is shown by the
surgical record of every great hospital and of
every great war since military surgery be-
came an established branch of medical science
But the very prominence given to the cases of
recovery Is evidence of their exceptional ma
ture "A very great proportion of cases of gun
shot injury of the liver die speedily from
Shock or from internal hemOuhage. The
shock which seemed to threaten the
Immediate close of the case on Saturday
has happily been safely reacted from,
and DIR. Bliss reports explicitly that there has
been but little internal hemorrhage The next
cause for anxiety is the occurrence of inflam-
nation of the organs and tissues traversed or
injured by the ball. The most dreaded com
plication of this sort is tho appearance of gen
crl peritonitis. The great fatality of this
disease is well known; but it should be borne
in mind that it would be obviously I'M
proper to make the same representations for
case under the favorable conditions and with
the skilful treatment which the President en-
joys as for "a soldier subjected to the hardships
of the battlefield.
Taking the Presidents case by itself, 40 far
as the facts can be gathered from the telc-
grams, there arc reasons for hoping
that it may prove to be one of the instances
of fortunate recovery. They are that, first,
thus far, thirtysix hours after the injury,
there is no appearance of inflammatory mischief:
there is no great rise in temperature, no hurry
of respiration, and the pulse-rate is within
safe limits. Again, the President is reported a.
sleeping naturally and sufficiently Still further
and of great Importance, his stomach has re-
resumed its functions; he takes food
willingly and retains it easily. Last and by
no means least, the mental quiet and courage of
the patient are greatly in his favor. In all
surgery they count for much in such an in
jury rs the Presidents they are at once an
evidence of tho relatively small damage done
his nervous tone, and n good omen for the
subsequent progress of the case
Many natural inquiries are made and doubts
expressed as to the future health of the
PRESIDENT. There seems to be especial
reason, however, for doubling that if he
escapes the dangers Immediately threatening
his life he will be able to be, as heretofore. a
President indeed.