The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-07-28
lAhe' Caases Of the Relapse Founaa to- be
/ the Formation Of acPus Cavity,
! in the Wound.
avn 1lasSsion Made in Presidents GAR
/ helfs Back to Tap the Dan4.
gerous Reservoir,
Whlth Resulted in the Immed ate Re-
lief of the Pa4ient The eldi
Wound Healing.
A CRITICAL DAY.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES PAST. ..f.
Special Telegram to the Pioneer Press,
WASHINGTON, July 24.-The presidents
condition to-day has been very critical but to-
night the attendant physicians say that theim4
mediate danger is past and that the. patterns
Is IN as good condition for recoverNas4 twenty
four hours ago. excepting the. additional.
weakness caused blythe, formation of the pus.
cavity and the chills~whieh he suffered yasaen.-
day. The wisdom Of summoning
the consulting physicians was, made.
apparent when the 10, a. m.. bulletin.
was issued to-day The, exsautiye, mansion
was closed at comparatively early hour last
night. The members Of the cabinet returned
to their homes. andno information. was received
from the sick chamber beyond the fact that the
president WAS resting more comfortably than
during the early part Of the day. He did not
enjoy the customary reposewhich had followed
the evening dressing of the wound for q week
previous, but was restless and disturbed. A
few moments before midnight he WAS attacked
with
THIRD CHILL,
which lasted some time. and greatly worried
the, physicians. Tho discharge Of pus from
the wound was much less than was expected.
and it became perfectly evident that pus
cavity or abscess had formed in the track of
the wound While frequent chills are almost
invariably. manifested in cases of pyamia or
blood poisoning, there were none of
the other indications Of that affection
in the presidents condition. At the same time
1t was recognized that unless free flow of pus
was obtained blood poisoning might result
from the stagnation. The consulting sur
geons were fully informed last night of the
presidents condition, and they met the at
tending physicians this morning in the sick
chamber. The pulse was ninety-eight and
the temperature and respiration were mere
ly normal At the consultation the wound
was carefully examined. Dr. Hamilton insert
ed the tube that had been used for opening the
wound and after tests had been made both by
himself and Dr. Agnew it was asoertained
that
PUs CAVITY HAD BEEN FORMED
at the point where the ball DETECTED towards
the abdomen from the downward direction in
which it entered the body. The ball took q
downward course for nearly three inches
and then branched off in what is
supposed to be nearly horizontal line. It
will be seen that the pus which had formed
IN that part of the wound nearest the lodging
place of the ball had not only to work itself
| along the presumably straight course of the
wound, but had to force itself upward three
inches before reaching the surface. The sur
geons ...-.ra. .u
DETERMINED TO PUNCTURE THIS ABsCEss
Immediately, and the president was informed
that an operation was necessary to relieve him
he made no objections to the operation. Dr.
Agnew first scattered spray Of ether over q
point about three inches below the entrance of
| the wound and one inch to the right of the back
bone. The knife was inserted to the depth
OF about an inch. and then slowly raised, max
ing clear c'lt through which the pus began
to discharge almost Immediately. An exam
ination of the pus showed that it was not of q
perfectly healthy character The president
bore the operation without hinching. He did
not desire an anesthetic administered,
| and the physicians did not wish
to give him one. A tube was
| inserted in the wound and brought through the
incision, after which the inner surface was
thoroughly cleaned The old wound from the
surface down to the points of its junction with
the incision will be allowed to heal and the
flow of pus will be diverted through the new
| aperture. r..
The first news given to the public was
contained in the 10 a. m. bulletin after the
| operation had been performed There was
great anxiety to learn the news prior to that
time, and when it became known an operation
| had been performed the danger of the patient
| was
POSSIBLY UNDULY MAGNF1ED.
Crowds Of people gathered in front of the
White House and about the places where the
| bulletins are posted. The same anxiety that
was manifest in the face and inquiries three
weeks ago was plainly discernible to-day. The
| people here had quite generally arrived at the
conclusion that the president was sure to re-
cover, and they were not prepared for
! the sudden-and what seemed at one
me almost fatal-change for the
worst in his condition that the president was in
| very bad shape did not fully impress itself upon
the population until it became known that the
consulting physicians had been sent for Not
one man in 100 understood the exact
character of the surgical operation, and the
meager details contained in the bulletins did
| not inspire hope in the minds of those who
read them. The crowds at the White House
gates eagerly Desleged the persons who came
| from the executive mansion for the latest in
formation, and
! ALL SORTS OF RUSdoRs
| were set af1oat. The members of the cabinet
and their ladies were in and out of the White
| House, and their hopeful statements did not
much allay the excitement outside. Now and
then one of the physicians would come out
| of the sick room and report that the presiden
| was resting more comfortably, and apparently
improving.
| The members Of the cabinet who have the
freest conversations with the physicians, do
not believe that the president will die. Secre-
tary Window believes that the crisis has
passed and that the president will recover. He
sent several hopeful dispatches to his friends
this afternoon, among them one to
Vice President Arthur. Mrs. Gar
field does not lose courage. She has
passed the day by her husbands bedside, and
is hopeful of his recovery.
| At $40 P. m DR.. Agnew took the train for