The Republican journal., 1881-07-14
The Presidents Condition.

ICl Z HIS ttt lCdSt DCtI llO tIldllSO lo
the worse in the Presidents condition
during the past week If anything the
This is of course encouraging: but the
attending physicians and the personal
friends at the bedside of the sufferer have
not yet been able to convey to an anxious
people the lOnged for assurance that the
President is out of danger The course
of the bullet has not yet been traced,
and the doctors differ greatly in their
opinions as to its present Judgement.
Judging from the symptoms Indicated in
the official bulletins some eminent medi-
cal men conclude. not only that the liver
has not been seriously injured, but that
no vital organ has been injured. All
agree that continuance Of favorable
symptoms tends to give a favorable au
surgeon General Of the United States,
and one of the leading practitioners of
New York, said to Herald reporter Fri
day night
According 10 the bulletin issued at nine o'clock
?. NJ the pulse is los, the temperature 0l 10
and the respiration n That would indicate a
slight fever, but nothing more than would result
from flesh wound Ii the President continues
over Sunday as he is now | reason why he
should not recover. If after seven days there is
DO fever, no Inflammation, nor any Of the symp-
toms that would indicate the presence of the bull
Lot n he a abdomen tha ih.nnaS a to
one it is not there. don't believe 1t is. | think
the diagnosis has been wrong from the beginning
don't believe the bali passed through the liver,
and don't believe II Is in the abdomen. There
has been no wound Of the liver nor any OF the pc
rltoneum | think the bullet struck the ribs and
probably the thick muscles IN the side and then
glanced oil. 1t Will be found III the small OF the
back may be lower down Judging by the
port buetned from the White House the Presi
dent is not well as he has been since the shoot
! ing, still there is not much difference much
cause for alarm in his condition p to this we
have been going on the theory supplied us that
the ball passed through the liver now IL are "A!
| most confident it did nothing OF the kind
\ Washington despatch to the New
York Evening Post Of Saturday last is
less hopeful than the almost universal
| tenor of the news concerning the Pres-
| dent. Indeed, it affords very little ground
for hope. 1t says few understand how
sick and weak the President is "Altcr
the lapse OF Il week he is still scarcely
able to move his limbs, is forbidden to
speak except so far as is impcratyely
| necessary, is a constant sufferer from the
pains Of the wound can only partake Of
food in the most limited quantity. care
fully selected and prepared, cannot bear
the slightest excitement, not even the
presence of friends in the sick chamber
or messages of sympathy and affection
which come in from all parts of the world,
and sleeps only in short teVerish maps,
and then partly under the influence Of
sedative drugs. This is description Of
people may justly entertain hope us day
succeeds day without the appearance Of
symptoms which mark the progress Of
fatal cases, they should remember that the
condition of the sufferer is still most crit
| lcal, and that if he RECEIVERS his case will
stand in surgical history as eXtraordi-
nary" The concluding statement rests
upon the correctness Of the diagnosis of
the Presidents physicians. If DR.. Ham
monds opinions are verified there would
be nothing extraordinary in the patients
recovery, which might indeed be con
IL In, al ',>f,
impossible at this time to attempt to find
the ball or to extract it.
While the President has many points
in his favor the summer climate Of Wash
ngton is against him. 1t is very trying
| to we'll person and Of course much more
severe upon an invalid. But the location
| Of the White House and OF the sick cham
| Der are both of the best, and such relief
as is afforded by the prevalent southerly
| breezes will be felt. The efforts to cool
the atmosphere OF the Presidents room 10y
artificial appliances have not thus far
| been attended with much success. If the
| Presidents condition will admit, it is
| probable that in Il few days he will be re-
moved to the Soldiers Home, where there
will be no need of appliances to lower the
| temperature or produce fresh currents Of
air. He could be placed on a spring mat
| tresS on a Stretcher and carried out by
relays Of strong men in the early morn
| ing or in the long twilight of the evening
when the heat would not be oppressive.
The change would also be very beneficial
to Mrs. Garfield. The physicians say,
however, that this will not be possible
for some time.
Monday afternoon some unfavorable
symptoms appeared, but these soon sub
sided, and Tuesdays bulletins were very
favorable. The Presidents condition
steadily improved during the day (Tues-
day. and DR.. Woodward, one of the four
surgeons who are in constant attendance
upon the President, upon being asked at
night what he thought of the latter's con-
ditiOn replied: "This has been on the
whole the best day the President has had
since his injury. There was less disturb
ance during the day, andin febrle rise this
afternoon than on the previous afternoons
and the actual maximum temperature was
less to-day than yesterday. 1t still repre-
sents, however, considerable afternoon
fever, and it would not be safe as yet to
declare the President out of danger, but
his general symptoms are very encourag-
ing, and with every day we feel increased
hope" The following bulletin was issued
yesterday, 18th, at ] P. NJ, and signed
by DR.. Bliss and associates: Presidents
condition continues favorable: Pulse "a,
temperature 100 6, respiration 80 The
| physicians say his general PROGRESS to