Democratic messenger., 1881-09-24
THE PRESIDENT DEAD.
After Eighty Days Of Suffering He
Breathes His Last.

After Elgnty DayS Oh suffering lie
Breathes His Last.
The President Saturday afternoon
suffered from an attack of chills which
sent his pulse up to 1877 and brought ON
vomiting. During the afternoon he re-
covered somewhat, but his condition
was then regarded as extremely citical
His stomach being no longer able to as
simulate food properly, the doctors adj
ministered defibrinated beef blood by
enemata. Several members of the
Cabinet arrived at Elberon Satur-
day. The bulletins issued at
that time declared There has
been no gain in strength, nor any evil
dence of repair, and the situation is now
probably more grave and critical than
at any time heretofore. Of all the
number about that sick bed there was
not one to give an encouraging word in
reply. All the answer was -" We
hope for the best. There is yet room
for hope-there is yet a chance,
but the condition of the Presi-
dent was never so grave before. p"
DIR. Agnew, with that stern conserva-
tism which sits with such splendid
dignity upon him, declines to speak
of the future, but says simply: "The
condition of the President is mos
serious. There is more gravity in
it than there has ever been before. -
During the chill of Saturday the
pulse during the continuance of the
chill leaped from 112, at which point
it stood, TO 1877, the highest but once
it has counted since the 9th Of August,
when everybody thought the President
must die, and the doctors 50 informed
the Cabinet. On that occasion it was
counted at 139 for a little while. With
the chill, of whose first approaches the
President himself was perfectly un-
conscious, came the temporary aber-
ration of his mind, the growing
frequency of which is in itself of serious
significance. The chill was more severe
than any previous to it. 1t extended
more generally over the body and the
extremitles were more seriously affected.
1t passed off in about half an hour.
AS it went by the Presidents mind
seemed to return. He spoke of the
chill, and said it was bad thing.
Directly after that came the vomiting,
which was the result of the nausea
that came in sympathy with the
ehill, and the pains III the stomach came
naturally afterward, and in sequence
the perspiration, which was quite pro-
fuse. BY twelve o'clock the paroxysm
was over; the pulse fell to 100; the
temperature, which had reached 101 just
before the sweat, went down to 50, and
at one o'clock was 9S.S. Exhausted
by the vomiting and the extreme
effort attending it, the President then
fell asleep. 1t was the calm that sue
ceeded the storm. His respiration
which during the rigor ran up to 26,
higher than it ever was before except
on the day of the shooting, fell
to 23, and as he slept quietly
and restfully it went down to 20.
The condition of the President during
Sunday was very critical, his pulse
being 100 at six p. M, and a chill oc.
CURED i'll the afternoon, which lasted
ten minutes. The cough was not
troublesome, but the patient is evi-
IDENTIFY very weak. DIR. Bliss made a
very important but discouraging state
ment Sunday evening to the effect that
during the past two days there had
been no evidence that the President was
gaining strength, and hope was based
on the mere fact that he was still alive
and might be able to respond to the
efforts of his physicians to bring about
more favorable condition. At mid
night the President was resting quietly,
Of Il akf fr IL,
anxious about the symptoms to be de-
veloped this morning. Secretary Mac.
Vea9h cabled to Minister Lowell that
the President is gradually growing
weaker, and that the situation excites
the gravest apprehensions.
At $50 Monday morning the
President suffered another severe chill
His limbs stiffened rigidly, and he
shivered in spasms. His feet and hands
grew cold, and the end seemed very
near. Hot applications were employed
on every portion Of the body. Heated
alcohol was used for bathing, and the
most stenuous efforts known tC
medicine or surgery were put forth.
During the rigor the patients minC
again wandered at intervals, and he
suffered extreme pain. The pulse
bounded up to one hundred anC
forty-three beats to the minute
The doctors had difficulty in fol
lowing the pulsations, so weal
was the register. When the chill
had passed, the exhausted patient
lelapsed into a stupor. From tli.
stupor it was announced that thu
President was sleeping; but it was the
unconsciousness of exhaustion. Ovel
an hour he lay thus, and then aroused
to Consciousness of his surroundings
DR.. Bliss said : "If these rigors con
tinue for forty eight hours the President
cannot live, and it is quite possible tha
he will be carried off in one OF tht
chills."
The President died at 1926 Monday
night. At the evening bulletin his
condition was thought q trife moro
comfortable. There was a feeling O
congratulation on all sides that he es
capped another rigor, which had beer
anxiously feared since the chill of Mon.
day morning. DIR. Boynton during the
early evening talked even a little hope
fully, and the people about the hotels
prepared to retire at the usual hour,
having almost no fear of any serious
change before morning. AT 1920 G
colored messenger ca'lel DIR. Boynton
out in the dark and whispered to him
excitedly. The Doctor turned back to
the group of reporters. ''The Presi-