The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-10-06
Official Autopsy.

issue OF the american journal of Medi-
cal Science contains the following official
report of the autopsy of President Gar
field, prepared by the surgeons in
charge: Official record of the post
mortem examination of the body OF
President J. A. Garfield, made Sept. 20,
1881, commencing at 4:3O p. M, 1e
hours after death, at Francklyn Cot
tage, Elberon, M. Present and assist
ing, Dr.. D. w. Bliss; Surgeon General
]. X. Barnes, U. S. A.; Surgeon Gen.
eral J. J. Woodward, U. S. A.;
DR.. Rob't Reyburn, DR.. ]. Fl. Hamilton,
!. DR.. p Hess-os Agnew. D;s.axt. Fl: Smith
of Elberon and New York, and Acting
Assistant Surgeon ID. g. Barnes, of the
Army Medical Museum, Washington,
d. G. Before commencing the examl-
nation q consultation was held by those
physicians in the room adjoining that
in which the body lay, and it was
unanimously agreed that the dissection
should be made by DR.. Lamb, and that
Surgeon Woodward should record the
obsel vations made; it was further
unanimously agreed that the Uranium
should not be opened. Surgeon Wood
ward then proposed that the examlna-
ton should be conducted as fol.
lows: That the body should be viewed
externally and any morbid appear
ances existing recorded; that u catheter
should then be passed into the wound,
as was done during life, to wash it out,
for the purpose of assisting to find the
position of the bullet; that long in
cision should next be made from the
superior extremity of the sternum to
the pubs, and this crossed by trans
verse one Just below the umbilicus;
that the abdominal flaps thus made,
should then he turned back and the alb
dominal viscera examined; that after
the abdominal cavity was opened
the position of the bullet should have
been ascertained if possible before
making any further incision, and that
finally the thoracic viscera should be
examined. This order of proceeding
was UNANIMOUSLY agreed to. The exam
ination was then proceeded with, and
the following external appearances
were observed. The body was consid-
erably emaciated but the face was
much less wasted than the limbs. A
preservative fluid had been injected tor
embalming few hours before into the
left formoral artery. The pipes used
for that purpose were still in position.
The interior surface of the body pre-
sented no abdominal appearances, and
there was no ecchymosis or other dis
celebration of any part of the front of
the abdomen. Just below the right
ear, and little behind it, there was an
oval liberated opening about half an
inch in diameter, from which some sa-
vieus pus was escaping, but no tune
faction could be observed in the paro-
It'd region. A considerable number of
purpuria-like spap were scattered
thickly over the left scopula, and
thence forward as far as the asillia.
They ranged from one-eighth to
uEe-fnnrth ef an inch in diam eter were
slightly elevated and furfuraceous on
the surface, and many of them were
continent in groups of two to four or
more; similar but much less abun-
dant eruption was observed sparsely
scattered over corresponding region
on the right side; an excavated ulcer,
about an inch long, the result of small
carbuncles, was seated over the spinous
process of the tenth dorsal vertebra;
over the socrium there were four small
bed sores, the largest about half an inch
in diameter, few acone pus-
tules, and number of irregu-
lar spots of postlortem hypostatic
CONGESTION were scattered over the
shoulders, back and bullocks. The in
ferior part Of the scrotum was much
discolored by hypostatic CONGESTION. A
group of hemorrhoidal tumors, rather
larger than a walnut, protruded from
the anus. The depressed cicatrix on
the wound, made BY the pistol bullet,
was recognized over the tenth inter-
costal space, three and a half inches to
the right Of the vertebrae spines. A
deep linear incision made in parts by
the operation Of July "a, and
extended by that Of August 8th,)
occupied q position closely correspond
ing to the upper border Of the twelfth
rib. It commenced posteriously about
two inches from the vertebral spine
and extended forward little more
than three inches. At the interior ex-
tremity Of the incision there was q
deep, nearly square abraded surface
about an inch across. A we'll oiled,
flexible catheter, IA inches long, was