Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-01
THE BALL LOCATED.
WHAT THE ELECTRIC BALANCE
REVEALED.

His Best Day Xet-Eating Mutton
ChOps-StrODg Hopes of the Sur
geODs-Dr. Bliss Talks AgaIn-A
Room Picked Out for the Presi-
dent at the Soldiers Home.
WASHINGTON, July 31-This has been
another remarkably favorable day for the
President. He has had no fever to-day, nor
the usual afternoon rise, which has sub
sided. He has eaten to-day more than yes
terday. In addition to a small piece of beef
steak given him yesterday, he was to-day
given mutton chops, and enjoyed them with
relish. By means OF pillows he sat up to-
day for quite time and expressed himself
as feeling better for the change.
The Bell electrical balance, for the ascer-
tainment Of where the ball is located, was
tried last night. While the experiment was
not entirely definite as It was wished to be,
it showed the ball to be located in the ante
rior wall of the stomach, a little to the right
side. This is where DR.. Bliss has all along
said the ball was. Prof. Bell has been at
work to-day perfecting the workings OF his
S4NNNA ANNA ON-NhNNg anu W O-AA4 SAb PAOhOhANOo
that he can by its means locate ball that
is imbedded five inches from the surface of
the body.
The opinion of the physicians is that the
ball is not more than two and half inches
from the anterior or front surface
of the stomach. There will be another
test of Prof. Bells arrangement to morrow.
Even if 1t exactly locates the ball, as it is
expected it will, no effort will be made to
extract it, unless it causes moro trouble
than it has heretofore.
Mrs. Garfield to-day visited the Soldiers
Home and picked out the northwest corner
room to the Presidents cottage there for
the occupancy of her husband, when he is
able to remove, and before he is strong
enough to take a sea voyage.
THE BULLETINS.
Following are the official bulletins from
the Executive Mansion to dav:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, $50 A. M-The
President slept well during the night aud
awoke refreshed this morning, The after
noon fever suOsided earlier than the night
before, and had quite disappeared at ten p.
N. His appearance and expression this
morning indicate a continued Improvement
At present his pulse is "a, temperature 80 4,
respiration 1S
1880 P. M.-The President bore the morn
ing dressing of his wound without fatigue.
It continues to look we'll and discharge ade-
quately. After the wound was dressed he
ate with relish a breakfast of solid food, and
has since passed a comfortable morning,
during which he had pleasant nap. The !
quantity of nOurishment now taken daily is
regarded as quite sufficient to support his
system and favor the gradual increase In !
strength, which is plainly observable. At
present his pulse is 100, temperature 9S.5,
respiration 10.
7P M.-rhe President has passed an ex-
cellent day. From just after the morning
dressing till about . p. N. he has had his !
head and shoulders elevated by frame be
meath the mattress. He has taken and
relished an ample supply of nourishment
and continues to improve in general condi- |
ton. The appearance of the wound at the
evening dressing was in every way satisfac-
tory. The afternoon rise of temperature !
has been quite Insignificant. At present
his pulse is 104, temperature 80, respira-
tion 20.
REVIEW OF THE DAY-WHAT is EXPECTED. !
Ills P Mo day at the White House
has passed very quietly, the reports from the |
sick room being without exception Of very |
favorable character. De. Bliss, In c0nver- |
cdtlbE O-IAE NJ Ou bAG IftSiu6ub' s CODQltlOn, !
when asked how he accounted for the regu- |
larity of the high pulse during the evening, |
said It was simply the result Of surgical |
fevers. 1t is mistaken idea, he |
added, to suppose that all surgical fevers !
are continued. Since the issuance of the |
z p. IN bulletin the Presidents pulse, the |
doctor said, had fallen about 10 beats, and |
is at this hour about a. with temperature |
about cOrmal. The pulse of the President |
was the subject Of discussion by the sur
geOns to -dav, and it was concluded that it |
was about so beats. DR.. Bliss said that if |
the President continued to improve for the |
next two weeks as he has during the past /
few days, there is no reason why be should !
not sit up during the third week, |
or perhaps sooner. During the course |
OF further conversation, the doctor exp ain |
ed at length the manner in which the |
dressings Of the wound are made aud the |
part tsken therein by each attending SUI |
geou. He said one surgeon, DR.. Reyburn, |
always takes the temperature, another, Dr.. !
Woodward, prepares the liquids for clearing !
the wound, keeping them at blood heat, |
and the other two, Drs. Bliss and Barnes,
dress the wound. Everything has been |
done cOnscientously, said the doctor, to
give each condition of the patient at the time !
of the examination, whether it be favorable |
or unfavOrable. As an instance Of this he |
referred to the fact that oftentimes when |
the evening examination is made the fever
will be found at its height, and perhaps i'm |
mediately afterwards will have almost entire.
ly disappeared but his condition is given at |
the moment Of the examinations invaria-
bly, for the bulletin. The fever, although |
IL may be variable, the doctor said, always |
makes its appearance sooner or later.
In referring to the probable location of .
the bullet, DR.. Bliss explained in detail the |
experiment by means Of the induction bal
anre, which occurred at the evening dress
ing Of the wound yesterday. He said, al
though the apparatus was afterwards claim
ed to be ouE of adjustment, it indicated at
one time that the bail lies in the front wall |
OF the abdomen, about five inches below
and to the right of the navel and lust over
the groin, precisely where the attending
surgeons always maintained it had lodged.
Another experiment will be made by Prof. |
Bell tomorrow morning with an apparatus
which, it is claimed, will detect a bullet at
the depth of five inches from the surface of
the body DIR. Bliss is of the opinion that !
this experiment will result in fixing
definitely the exact location Of the ball.
In response to an Inquiry as to whether the
ball, if it should be found to be in the
front wall of the abdomen, would be
likely to cause the President any serious
annoyance, the doctor said that unless it
had carried some bone with it, in which
event an abscess might form, there was no
reason to fear any troublesome compiica-
tions fromstt The President, during the
day, has taken about twenty-five ounces of
liquid nourishment and four ouncesiof solid
food, including mutton chops and other
substantial meats.
The Executive Mansion was closed for
the night considerably earlier tonight thaa
usual on account Of everything being quiet
and favorable.
BLAINE TO LOWELL.
Secretary Blaine sent the following tele-
gram to Minister Lowell tonight at II D.
m: "The President is steadily improving,
and l shall henceforth omit my daily tele-
gram. Not hearing from me you may infer
that all goes we'll"
Weather Indications.
OFFICE CHIEF SIGNAL OBSERVER, WASH