The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-07-25
THE PUS CAVITY.
It's Nature and Causes-A Rib Found
Bent.

It's Nature and Causes-A Rib Found
NEW YORK, July pa Washington spec
ial says: DR.. Agnew was selected to perform
the operation. He located the cavity and
made an incsion about an inch and half be-
low the opening Of the wound. The pus cavi
ty was occasioned by an irritation from spin.
tiers of the injured rib and had no connection
with the main canal formed by the
bullet, which has worked freely The cut
was about an inch and a half long and not ex.
ceeding an inch and a half in depth. The in.
jured rib was found to be bent, and there is
now consultation as to whether any attempt
shall be made to straighten it, Tho new
opening has thoroughly discharged the pus
cavity and will of course be kept open. An
ether spray was used upon the wound when
the operation was performed but none was ad-
ministered otherwise. DR.. Agnew is we'll sat
isfied with the result DR., Hamilton says he
has strong hopes that the difficulty has been
removed and that the progress toward recov-
cry will recommence.
DR.. Reyburn's Statement.
WASHINGTON, July A.-The condition of
the President to-day was the source Of much
anxiety, and in the absence of official informa-
ton later than the morning bulletins all sorts
of wild rumors were circulated. Since the
evening, however, more hopeful feeling has
prevailed and the excitement of the day has to
great extent, subsidized. The attending sur
geons tonight do not hesitate to say there has
been a substantial and, they believe, perma-
nent improvement in the Presidents condi-
ton. This afternoon, in an interview with .
representative of the associated press, DIR.
Reyburn expressed the opinion that the crisis
of the disturbance caused by the formation Of
the pus cavity has passed, and there is now
every reason to expect an abatement, il not an
entire disappearance, of the unfavorable symp-
toms of the last thirty-six hours. In explain
ing the nature of the operation performed by
DR.. Agnew this morning, and the necessity for
it, DIR. Reyburn made in substance the follow
ing statement.
The direction taken by the ball after it en-
tered the body was forward and slightly
downward until it struck one of the ribs. 1t
was thence DETECTED still further downward
and little to the right so as to make an acute
angle with the line of the back. In other
words, when probe was introduced in the
wound to the depth of three or three and one
half inches its direction was such that its in
ner end was only about an inch and one-half
from the outside of the body at q point lower
down. The examination which was made In the
presence of Drs Agnew and Hamilton this
morning showed that a pus cavity had been
found in the track of the ball near and beyond
the point where it glanced from the rib, and
that this cavity could be reached by direct
incision three inches below the mouth of the
wound. 1t was decided at once to perform an
operation. No anaesthetics were used but tho
spray of ether and wide cut was made into
the open cavity which was reached 1T depth
of little more than an inch. With the aid Of
probe and a pair of forceps drainage tube,
which is a small flexible tube of rubber per-
fOrated with holes, was then introduced into
the wound made by the ball, and after being
carried through the pus cavity was brought out
through the newly made incision. Que end of
the tube was thus projected from the cut made
by the surgeons knife and other from the
mouth of the original wound. As the pus
oozed into the tube through the perforation it
eddy washed out with W eak solution of car
bolic acid and water which went
through the tube ia stream. The discharge
which followed the opening of the pms cavity
was entirely satisfactory to tso surgeons.
and was soon iollowed by relief to the patient.
The drainage tube has been left as it was orig
iaally placed, and will remain there for the
present. II the wound discharges freely
through the new opening the tube may per-
haps be- withdrawn from the old one in order
to allow the latter to heal. The incision made
o-day is in a direct line with the deeper parts
OF the wound, and it is thought the pus will
escape through it without any of the obstruc-
tinn which impeded its outflow along the track
of the ball and which caused the pus cavity.
In reply to a question whether another pus
cavity is likely to form and bring about a re-
currence of the alarming symptoms OF yester-
day, DR.. Reyburn said:-"I cannot answer
positively, but as the pus now has free egress
do not think it probable that another cavity
will FORM"
Upon being asked whether there was or had
been any symptoms in the Presidents case Of
pyaemia or blood poisoning, DR.. Reyburn said:
"Noue whatever. Rigor, of course, may be a
symptom of pyaemia, but it is also symptom
of various other complications and does not
point to pyaemia in the Presidents case The
pus continues healthy and the characteristic
symptoms of nyaemia are all wanting. You
may say upon my authority that no indications
that we have no reason to expect any,"
In conclusion DIR. Reyburn said that the
Presidents condition and symptoms TO- night
are more favorable and more encouraging than
at any time since the chill Of yesterday morn
ing.