Morris tribune., 1881-08-04
A RAPID RECOVERY.
That is What all the Indications Prom
ise in the Case of the Wounded
President.
THE PRESIDENT.
Yesterday at the White House.

Qay OF resi- aG Cn6 Wnlto HOUSE To-Day, anO
evening found the old mansion still wrapped
in quiet and peace. DIR. Bliss came ont from
the physicians room in response to your cor
respondents card and talked quite freely about
the condition and prospects:
While we feel that the president is going to re-
cover, he said, we know he needs the most care.
full nursing, and this think he is getting.
What have been the particular features Ct the
day? The president has passed a very comfort.
able but uneventful day, and his progress towards
convalescence goes steadily on. He is very cheer
full and hopeful himself and we all share the feel.
ing.
What did he eat to-day?" He has eaten more
solid food to-day than any time since
this operation was performed. He wanted te
know if he could not have substantial breakfast
and concluded to let himshaye his choice. He
chose lamb chops and mashed potatoes, with cream
and salt. This gave him, and was feeding it &c
him, when his wife came in and claimed that right
herself. 1 don't know. therefore, exactly how
much he did eat but think the greater part of the
round part of each chop-two pieces the size of
silver dollar in all, perhaps. Besides this. he
ate his usual portion of
BEEF ESSENCE AND MILK AND RUM AND EGG.
We gave him the yok Of the egg beaten up with the
egg,
Does he retain it easily?
Yes, he never experienced any nausea but once
and then he merely said that he though he tasted
the egg little. His appetite is always good. and
we have our hands full to control it. He was very
cheerful to-day and seems to take great delight in
his head rest? ~
How about the location of the ball?
Well, we have made experiments with the bal
ance and are pretty well satisfied that we can locate
the bali Wewill make another trial tomorrow
The first ONT was made two weeks ago. The report
hrc did pt pat hold of tta fact II t1a
ONLY THING THEY DID NOT GET HOLD OF.
The examination was made during the dressing of
the wound. 1 moved the point and Mr.. Bell
listened for the noise. Finally the point touched
spot which was slightly discolored. I had moved
the point off the place, but could not find it
again. Mr.. Bell afterwards examined the balance
and found it had not been correctly adjusted. The
president did not know that the examination had
| been made.
Did you locate the ball? ...
Yes. we are almost certain that it lies about five
inches below the navel aud two inches to the right
of the medan line. .-:'.'t
What is the condition of the wound? 1t is in very
healthy condition. The upper part is healing fast
and the original opening will be closed in few
days. The discharge is more healthy to-day than
at any time know of. The flow of pus is very CO.
pious and its color the very best.
What does the president complain of? He is
| as careful as possible in dressing the
| wound, as the body in certain por.
tons was very sore I was, therefore, Just
careful as possible, and got along without any
trouble; and the president was soon asleep The
examinations are very carefully made, but. as the
president has to be moved about it always excites
his pulse, and that is why it is up tonight The
temperature is low, though.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
WASHINGTON, July 31.-The president has
had very comfortable day and the surgeons
say tonight he has made marked improve
ment since morning. He has taken solid food
the chief dish to-day being mutton chops, and
the nourishment agrees with him. He
evening rise of fever was not very marked.
Dr.. Bliss says the presidents wound is very
sore, and that naturally he breads the dress
ings; that the state of his pulse, temperature
and respiration, are taken Immediately after
dressing, and the presidents dread of dressing
causes pulse and temperature to rise above the
actual fever height The surgeons are con-
weed that this theory is correct because the
fever always recedes SO early after the even.
ing dressing: 1t did tonight, and at p. m.
hs about president feysr was pnsIeggq psseg quietly
ter the wound was dressed yes
terday evening Bells induction balance was
used to locate the ball When it crossed the
spot on the right side of the abdomen that was
QlSCOlOreQ 1Or q rev days aIt0r tu6 WOuuu Was
received, the electrical apparatus vibrated
perceptibly. though it did not ring out as loud.
ly as it was intended, indicating the
LOCATION OF THE BULLET.
The vibration was sufficient to stately
the surgeons that the ball is
lodged just where DR.. Bliss said il
was on the interior wall of the stomach, and
thatit is just beneath the discolored spot. Prof
Bell worked last night and to-day at his ap.
paratus, and now says he has SO perfected il
that it will positively locate the bullet to a
depth of five inches below the surface.
The surgeons have decided to make another
test tomorrow with the improved apparatus,
and say thatsthey will not cut the ball out until
they may definitely locate it, unless it becomes
necessary. They do not believe the ball will
give any trouble where it is; still they are de-
sirous of demonstrating its location. So far as
the experiments have gone. they have sus-
tanned DR.. Bliss's theory OF the course and
| judgment of the ball
EXECUTIVE MANSION, July 81, HIS p. m.
The day at the White House passed very
quietly, reports from the sick room being with
out exception Of very favorable char.
acter DR.. Bliss, i'll conversation on
the presidents condition, when asked
| how he accounted for regularly rising pulse
every evening, said it was simply the result
| of surgical fever. ''It is mistaken idea' he
added, s'to suppose that all surgical fevers are
continuous" instancing immediately number
as proof of his assertion. Since the
| issuance of the p. m bulletin the
presidents pulse, the doctor said, had fallen
about ten beats, and is at this hour 94, with
| temperature normal The pulse of Presiden,
Garfield was the subject of discussion by the
about so beats. Dr. Bliss said
! if the patient continues to i'm
| prove for the next two weeks proportionately
to his Improvement of the pastfew days there Is
no reason why he will not be able to sit ur
during the third week, or probably sooner.
During the course of further conversation the
doctor explained at length
| THE MANNER OF DRESSING THE WOUND
and the part taken therein by each of the at
tending surgeons. He said one surgeon, DR..
Reyburn, always takes the temperature. DR..
| Woodward prepares the liquids for cleansing
the wound, keeping them at blood
heat, and the other two, Bliss and Barnes. dress
| the wound. Everything is done conscientious
| ly to give the exact condition of the president
whether it be favorable or unfavoracle. As an
| ten times when the evening examination
was made. the fever would be found at its
height, and perhaps Immediately afterward il
| would have almost Disappeared; but the con.
ditlon at the moment of the examination, he
said, is invariably taken for bulletins The
fever, although it may be variable, always
makes its appearance sooner or later.
In referring to the probable location of the
bali DR.. Bliss explained in dotall the expert
ment by means of the induction balance, which
/ occurred at every dressing of the wound. Yes
| terday. although the apparatus wal
afterwards discovered out of adjust
ment it indicated at the timt
| the ball lies in front of the wall of the abdo
men, about fve inches below and to right oi
navel and just over the groin, precisely where
/ the attending surgeons have always maintained
it had lodged.
/ ANOTHER EXPERIMENT
] will be made by Prof. Bell to-mor
i row forenoon with improved apparatus
| which it is claimed will detect the bullet at q
| depth Of five inches from the surface. DR.
Bliss is of the opinion that this experiment viii
result in fixing definitely the exact location o
/ the ball
In response to inquiry as to whether tn,
| ball if Il should be found to be in
! the front wall of the abdomen, would be likel.
to canse the president any serious annoyance
/ DR.. Bliss said unless it had carried some bon
with il. in which case an abcess might form
there wns no reason to fear any troublesom
/ complications.
The president during the day has takel
i twenty-five ounces Of liquid nourishment. ant
four ounces solid food, including mpttol