The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-07-24
COMMUNICATED. |
THE PRESIDENTS WOUND.

ldeDs Garfield was wounded, ana as
bis progress toward an ultimate re-
covery has been 90 steady and con-
slant, we naturally turn to an analy-
sis Of his symptoms in order TO deter
mine as nearly as possible the nature
OF the injury. The many. differences
OF opinion that have arisen were the
natural consequences resulting from
q wound such as he received, L is
an easy matter to be mistaken, where
difficulties of diagnosis, such as ex-
listed in the present instance neces-
sarily arose. Probable penetrating
wounds of any one OF the large csVl-
ties OF the b1dy do not admit of the
use of the probe, nor indeed of any
considerable amount of exploration
1t is only then by careful analysis
OF the succeeding symptoms, or as 1t
we're an q P0StsriOri demonstration
that, as nearly as may be, the extent
Iof the injury may De arrived a..
While surgeons may and do differ 10
their opinions as to the ultimate re-
Isult Of given case during its earliest
stage, the resultant symptoms tend
steadily to clear up the obsCurify. as
! well as to develop such theories az
were based upon the most probable
amount of injury done; for theories
they must OF necessity De until proved
or disproved by the light OF subse-
quent facts. The facts as recorded
in the daily papers go to show that
three examinations of the wound
we're made OF the day of the shoot
ling, two Of these showing but flesh
wound while one Was thought to
demonstrate the fact Of probable
wound of the liver. Surgeon General
Wales, in an exploration with the fin.
ger, was satisfied that he could feel
the wound in the liver while Dr..
Bliss, from the use of q probe TO a
depth o! three inches, arrived at the
same conclusion. Doctor Townshend,
Health Officer of the District, made
probably the first examination OF the
wound tslso with his fnger) and only
states that some bleeding followed.
Each fails to give either the exact or
probable direction of the bullet, ex.
cepting that the liver was wounded
and that the ball had passed through
this organ and was lodged somewhere
in the anterior abdominal wall. The
natural inference from these brief
statements would be that the bsll
stuck the injured man at right
angle to the vertical plane of the
body, and that it had been true TO its
original course, not being at all de-
t1ected by any substance with which
it came in contact. Such an inference
would be perfectly natural in the alb
sence OF an accurate knowledge of
the track OF the wound, and upon
this inference q surgeon would base
his ideas as to the ultimate result OF
the case. In addition to this i'm
perfect knowledge of the extent OF the
wound there has as yet been given to
the public no accurate description OF
the relative positions of the two
parties which would 60 great way
in determining the probable course
and DETECTION of the bali if such q
DETECTION had occurred. There is
still another evidence upon the body
near q gunshos wound which will al
wsys give pretty accurate idea of
the general direction of the wound,
and the probable track of the same
aud that is a beveIed and bruised con-
dition OF the skin where the bullet
fret came in contact with il. This
will be found in all cases where the
wound ia not at righ. angles to one
of the vertical planes of the body.
There has been in all the descriptions
OF this case a lack OF what might
seem to be minor symptoms, but
which when collected go to make q
more probable case than could be
done without them. Therefore, in
deciding upon the probable extent of
the Presidents injury and also as to
his possible recovery, many facts
must be supplied by the symptoms az
they arise in his case from day to
dsy.
Bsfore advancing our own theory
of the case. les US see how we'll the
first opinions have been borne out By
the subsequent. progress of the case.
As We before remarked the differences
in opinion were bat natural, and
therefore all that we msy say need
not Of all ref1enE unon the Indictment