New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-25

4 and through forced drainage flushing Of
the wound track, if we may use the expires.
sion-are undoubtedly very great, and the
neglect TO secure it did give rise for a time
d cven i'll the minds of medical men, to doubt
las to whether all that could be done
was done. But if we read the notes
\ if the formation of the pus cavity beneath
4 the liver could have been prevented by even
such drainage, and it is pretty certain that the
I fragments of bone from the broken rib and
!. vertebral body, which after all seem to have
been the real sources of irritation, would not
have been washed away by this flushing, in
asmuch as they were not situated along the
I line of long sinus described The fragments
were forcibly carried with the ball to the left
side of the spine the bulTowing of matter,
guided by the anatomical structure, was from
I the broken rib toward the right groin.
Another criticism is that antseptic precau-
tons were not used and that the fatal result
was probably due to this neglect. This is by
no means a fair criticism. In the first place, the
earlier reports of the case explicitly state that
the wound was dressed antisepticalIy. The
details OF the dressings are not given, nor
does it appear how long they were continued
were not ignored. And if they were discon-
tinued it was probably because they had failed
lof their hoped-for result. Again, while
the results obtained under the use of
antiseptic dressing are sometimes truly
surprising equally astonishing success
has attended the practice of some sur
geons who refuse to use any anti
septic precautions beyond simple cleanliness.
The collision of opinion on this point is de-
cided, and is exemplfed by the varying prac-
tice of surgeons working in the same hos
pitfalls everywhere; and the fair-minded OBJ
server is indeed puzzled to know on which
side he should take his stand. Nor does sue
cess uniformly attend the employment of any
dressings. Every surgeon of experience con-
fesses tfat he meets rebuifs even when
using his most trusted plan. While nearly
every surgeon doubtless has preferred method,
TO condemn publicly an equally experienced
man for using another shows bigotry hardly
suited to a scientific mind.
The delay in the removal of the President
from the White House is another cause of dis
satisfaction. 1t may be, perhaps a Just
one but it should be remembered that
the removal was an experiment involving
great risks, and that the attendants could
not take these chances until events
demonstrated to them and to the public that
further delay was certainly dangerous. 1t
should also be borne in mind that, with the
same surroundings, the progress of the case
or several weeks was most reassuring and only
after the symptoms OF danger resppeared was
removal to be considered. and the very state
of affairs that rendered it necessary on the
one hand rendered it hazardous ON the other
A point worth noting is that little of the
criticism of the surgery of the case has come
rom members of the profession best qualified
30 make il. We have heard the expressed
opinions of many competent surgeons, and the
general tenor of these expressions has been
one of approval of the treatment and of sim
cere sympathy with the men who had TO carry
so terrible responsibility. The Medical Record.
III It's latest issue, says editorially: alt is.
E. we believe, the general verdict of the profess
A" sion that the late President received all the
aid which medical science, ntelligCntly applied
" could furnish. Looking back upon the case,
" even with the light of the autopsy before us.
" II is impossible for anyone To say that any diff
p" fcrent mode of treatment would have saved
" the patients life. And furthermore, we NAV
" claim that medical art prolonged for months
" a life which might otherwise have ended in a
"few days or weeks. We believe that this can
"be truly said, and that it will be echoed and
" Endorsed by the medical profession" In this
opinion we fully concur.
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