The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-07-14


travasation and of bloody discoloration of the
contents Of the bladder. This lesion would also
be attended with serious collapse, ending,
most probably, in early dissolution. If the
gall bladder had been wounded extravasatiOn of
bile into the cavity of the peritoneum would be
speedily followed by collspse and death. Gun.
shot wounds of the stomach may be recovered
from, but are as general rule fatal, and are
associated with unmistakable symptoms of
very grave character. Extensive wounds of
the liver are followed generally by internal
hemorrhage into the cavity Of the peritoneum,
which is almost invariably Gf the hemorrhage
be profuse) followed by extravasation, collapse
and speedy death.
GAS the condition Of the president up to the
present time has not been signalized by the
grave symptoms have enumerated it might be
reasonably hoped that, if the liver is the organ
reached by. the ball, the part of that org gan
and that it is outside the cavity OF the peritone-
UNI, and that a salutary reaction may take
place."
Suppose the injury to the liver to be but
slight-the tissues of the liver to be but slight
ly lacerated-so you suppose the danger to be
over?" asked the reporter
mo. Even after reaction has taken place
suppuration in such a wound as the one we are
speaking of is certain to take place to greater
or less extent, and purulent absorption or sep
ticRmia may take place and produce q fatal re-
suit"
sIs this "a possible or probable danger?'
'Ishould say it might be possible intercur-
rent complication in this case. The reports
are that Gen. Garfield has fine physique, and
it would not be so probable in the case of
healthy constitution as in person of ante
cedent b1oken-d down physique
"When would such secondary symptoms be
likely to show themselves?"
From the fifth to the twelfth day."
'Then would he be ont of danger in two
weeks if the symptoms all remained favorable.
"Not even then, for prolonged suppuration
might be attended by purulent absorption at
wound"
''When will he be out of danger, then?"
with the presence of foreign body in the
system until suppuration had entirely ceased it
could scarcely be said that all danger was over.
but in gunshotwounds if the abdominal organs
resume their normal functions the prognosis
then becomes almost absolutely favorable"
Us it possible that the bullet wounded none
of the organs you have mentioned?N
''By a bare possibility, the mesentery or the
omentum might be pierced without very dan
gerous symptoms occurring, but such thing
would be almost like that which I saw in the
let in the heart, which was not followed by
hemorrhage simply because the bullet slipped
incidentally under the coronary artery y
What course ls the most proper to be pur-
sued in regard to the extraction Of the bullet
in President Garfelds case.
"After twenty-four or thirty-six hours in
f1ammation sets in along the track of the gun
shot wound, and generally renders search for
the bullet futile at that time. A suggestion of
Dr. Wales to search. for the bullet by the
gentle insinuation of the finger soon after the
wound was received was most judicious, and
if properly followed up, might have at that
time discovered the seat of the ball Until
Inflammation has subsidized along the track of
set in, interference in regard to the search for
the ball would be contrary to established
rule" s5tzs.
might the ball remain in the system and be
harmless?"
eyes. Bullets remain encysted among the
tissues and ut times remain harmless. as &C.
Cured in the case Of Poole to which I Just re-
ferred. He lived eleven days after he was
shot, and the ball was found to be entirely en-
veloped in cyst without the slightest degree
Of suppuration.'
''Then what killed Poole?" m
"Poole died of Inflammation of the pericar-
dunn, with effusion Of serum into the cavity of
the pericardium." MA
swell, DOCTOR" said the reporter, .'if you
balance the chances, is it more likely that Gen
Garfield will live or die?"
II should say to that" replied Dr. Car
| nochan, that having escaped so far the grave
symptoms which have just enumerated the
chances IN favor of his recovery have greatly
increased" 1 'sTF
DR. AGNEw's OPINION
try seat at Haverford station, on the Pennsyl-
vania railroad, this evening, and courteously
interviewed by the Herald correspondent The
bulletin sent him during the day by the four
physicians in attendance at the White House
was read over by DR.. Agnew with great care
and he pronounced the symptoms as hourly
more favorable The official bulletins printed
IN the evening papers up to O'clock, he said,
confirmed the hopes expressed in the earlier
| message to him.
'The absence of any further distension of
the abdomen, the disappearance Of the pains
IN the legs, the many other signs that the pres
ldent's strong system is reasserting itself are
all too gratifying to be passed over without
comment, said the humane physician. 81 am
avorse to limiting at the new dangers that
threaten the patient, because the newspapers
find their way into that sick chamber with
alarming ease. Everybody reads the newspa-
pers about the White House. found them,
it wise not to talk about the dangerous way-
marks that stand at intervals along the
road to recovery. Consideration for the pa
tent stands before everything. 1t is by striiv-
ing to see the effects of the future stages Of
to arise) that the progress of the patient can be
constantly assisted. For instance. the favor
able bodily condition of the president proves
far more clearly than the natural action of the
bowels that the lntestines have not been sew
cred, because had the stomach or an intestine
been cut death from blood poisoning would
have occurred ere this. do not regard the
search for the ball as wise at this stage. and do
not think for moment that it will be ATTEMPT
ed. Dr. Degrass, of Georgia, was the first to
propose the heroic treatment suggested by Dr..
simms in the Herald; but doubt very much
if the London surgeon would have
pursued that course under all cir
cumstances. Nobody knows or can
know exactly whore that ball is lodged I in
serted my finger to its full length into the
wound, far past the broken rib; still I cannot
say where it is. I can surmise; but who would
dare to cut patient open on a mere guess
Wherever the ball is there exists clot of
blood which nature or science must eliminate.
had great number of cases during the war
quite similar to President Garfield's. some Of
whom recovered. Therefore, his case is not
hopeless, although in the great majority Of in
stances fatal result follows The tingling IN
che legs is not . serious symptom as might be
inferred, especially since Mr.. Garfield moves
his legs readily. He turned over on his face
readily to permit us to examine his wound
"What is the exact location OF the wound?n
was asked.
'1t is on the right side, four inches from
the spine" replied DR.. Agnew. .'The missile
entered between the tenth and eleventh ribe.
the latter being broken. From the exterior