Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-19

" hAo uAulCE puic6.
Before the noon bulletin was issued, the
President had partaken Of koumiss on four
different occasions, and expressed desire
for more. OF course, nourishment was ad-
ministered in very small quantities. Previ-
GUS to administering the first quantity of
koumiss, Mrs. Garfield was sitting
by the patients bedside, when he expressed
himself as feeling comparatively well, and
inquired If it was desired to try the strength
of his stomach by permitting him to have
nourishment, and expressed a wish for
koumiss, whereupon his wife gave
him his first portion. The fact
Of the Presidents having suggested
the administration of nourishment Is con-
sidered by the attending surgeons as
an indication that the irritability of
the stomach is subsiding, and that in
consequence the patient commences to
crave food. Considerable anxiety was ex-
on account of slight delay
in the noon bulletin. The contents OF the
bulletin, when 1t was read IN Private Secre-
tary Browns room at a quarter past one
o'clock, did not allay anxiety, because Of
the announcement 1t contained in reference
to the Inflammation of the parotid gland,
and until the assurances of the consulting
and attending surgeons were obtained to
the contrary, great apprehension was felt
been encountered.
DR.. Hamilton was the first of the sur
geoEs applied to for information regarding
the infiamed gland, but beyond the state
ment that 1t was nothing of serious charac-
ter, the doctor was disincliued to talk. He
inttmated that he could not explain the af-
fection to a non-professional In the brief
and left with the remark that it was moth
ing to cause alarm. When DIR. Bliss left the
Mansion, about 2:45 p. m, he was met at
the front entrance by several members of
the press. His attention was called to vari-
Gus rumors which had been cIrcu-
lated since the midday bulletin
was Issued In connection with the in
1ammation of the Presidents parotid gland.
These rumors were to the effect that it was
an indication OF pyemia, low fever and
other complications of a more or less serious
nature, and also that modification had set
in. The doctor said it was very curious to
him that in view of the fact that py@mia
was such a specific disease that some
people will insist that the President has it,
while the attending surgeons have thus far
been unable to discover any indication Of it
what soever. "This Inflammation" J" the doc
tor continued, sis nothing unusual in cases
where patients have become greatly debili-
tated. have seen It in many cases of gun
shot wounds"
"Then it is not pY@mia, doctor"
"Oh, no."
'Is it an indication of fever, typhoid or
otherwisee"
''Not at all, sir 1t is an affection which
need not cause the slightest alarm.n
The doctor, with this remark, stepped
into his carriage and drove off.
These assurances of the attending sur
geons were placed on the newspaper bulle
tin boards throughout the city and carried
by one person to another to such an extent
during the early afternoon that the extreme
anxiety occasioned by the announcement of
the fact of Inflammation OF the gland di-
minished very considerably before night!
General Swain says inasmuch as the Pres
ident has retained the koumiss he has taken
to-day his ftomach is proven to be gradu-
ally strengthening, and, this being the case,
in his opinion, the crisis has been passed,
and the patient will now continue to i'm
prove.
Early this morning DR.. Reyburn was asked
his opinion OF the Presidents condition,
whereupon the following dialogue ensued:
"The President is doing very well.''
"Does he experience much inconvenience
from the Inflammation referred to in the
noon bulletin?'
"He has considerable pain in his neck,
which is the result of the iDfamed gland. :"
"Well, doctor, what is the cause of this
Inflammation? How do you explain i'?'
at is the result of extreme debility"
"DO not similar symptoms manifest them
selves in typhoid feverf'
"They do, but Inflammation of the parotid
gland also frequently occurs in cases where
the patients are in a state of excessive de-
bility from other causes"
"Has the President taken nourishment at
all during the dsy?'
eyes. sir, he has been taking koumss in
small quantities all day."
"Has he experienced any trouble in re-
tanning it2''
"None whatever. He has retained It all {"
do you think the President is better to-
day than he was yesterday"
"He Is as well as we could reasonably ex-
pect, and think he is getting along nicely 1"
At the time OF the interview, previous
to the issuance of the evening bulletin, the
patients pulse, although not taken accu-
rately, was not thought to be any higher
than when the noon bulletin was issued,
namely, los. After the evening bulletin
came out there was a perceptible feeling of
qualification among those who came to the
Executive Mansion.
DIR. Reyburn, when asked what he thought
of the increased temperature, said:
"It cannot be considered as an unfavora-
bic indication, inssmuch as it shows that
the patient has considerable vitality left"
"On the whole, then, doctor, you consider
the President better to-day than yesterday"
"Yes," replied the doctor, che is better
to day."
"Do you still keep up the enemata doc
tori"
"Oh, yes. We will not discontinue the
enemata yet awhile"
" Has the President taken anything be
sides koumiss to-day ?"
L" Yes; he swallowed two tablepoonsfuls
of milk cruel, which was prepared by Mrs.
Garfield"
''Did he retain It ALT
every bit of It,"
DIR. Boynton, who remained in Secretary
Browns room a short time this evening, was
asked how he accounted for the inf ANNA
tion Of the parotid gland, in reply to which
he said:
81 think it is septic@mia; it certainly is
not py@mia."
During the course of further conversation
the doctor explained his version of the
septic9mia, which was In substance that it
was caused in this case by the condition of
the patients blood. According to his theo-
~ the same is liable to occur in cases Of
diphtheria, typhoid or scarlet fevers, and In
fact in any disease which renders the blood
unhealthy.
The doctor was asked IL he appreheLded
serious results from the new complication.
"Oh no" said he, cit has spent its fury
and think 1t will pass away now"
The doctor did not attribute the inham-
nation to the condition OF the
wound, inasmuch as the parotid
gland is not an absorbing
but secreting gland, but It is true, how
ever, that the discharge from the wound
might influence the irritation to a certain
extent. According to the theories advanced
by the attending surgeons and other promi-
dent members Of the medical profession,
the case may be summed up with the state
ment that the parotid gland secretes saliva
and that when no nonourishment is taken in the
natural way for time there is no demand
made upon the saliva, and 1t therefore natur-
ally, secretes itself in the parotid gland ,and
after remaining there SO long causes in
fsmmation. According to this the
orY, it is fair to assume
that the seeds of the complication were
sown during the time the patient was una
BILE to take nourishment in the natural way,
and now that he has been able to retain
what he has swallowed the saliva is drawn
upon again, and the irritation will, proba-
bly,, gradually decrease.
OF course, there are different views on
the subject, but this theory, compared with
the number advanced, appears to be the
one most generally accepted by those who
have watched the case closely.
The lat est information received from the
private part of the Mansion indicates that
the surgeons are hopeful that the President
will pass a comparatively comfortable
night. He was resting quietly at IL
O'Clock, and, though he has taken consid-
erable nourishment to night, there has
been no return of nausea.
VERY MUCH IMPROVED.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, August IS, $50 A. NJ.