The daily gazette., 1881-08-17
SECOND EDITION
THE PRESIDENT.
HIS CONDITION SCARCELY
CHANGED FROM THAT
OF YESTERDAY.
HOPING FOR THE BEST.
The Present weakness Due to an
Inability to take Food
Naturally.

WASHINGTON, August 16.-Dr. Bliss
said tonight that while the past twenty
four hours hsd been quite as dangerous
as any since the shooting, yet .he Presi-
dent had passed much less uncomfor-
table day than had been commonly sup
posed. The night was not unlike that
OF Sunday, nausea, retchipg and vomit-
ing being almost constantly present or
threatened until about o'clock, when
the President fell asleep, not awakening
for about three hours. These symptoms
were particularly distressing because the
stomach had little or nothing In it. The
morning examIng consequently found
the President excessively weak, but the
doctors took hope from the fact that he
was at least no worse than last evening
and that his stomach had shown no signs
Of rebellion for several hours, a circum-
stance less wonderful than It would have
been had there been anything In the
stomach against which rebellion could
have been raised. After the examination
1t was decided to try the effects of fur
ther enema, and scant wineglass of
milk aud lime-water were administered.
The hour following this dose was an
anxious one for the physicians, for while
Of course gastric disturbance was hardly
anticipated, they were apprehensive that
the nourishmeht might not be absorbed
through the membranes as intended.
The hour passed quietly, however, and
nnnthar M nj tfpu ,f
separate doses of whiskey and egg and
beet extract, the results seeming to be
satisfactory. From this it was decided
not to disturb the PRESIDENT for nourlsh-
ment thereafter often than once in four
hours. From then on there seemed to
be little change In his condition, but at
II O'Clock his pulse increased to 124
beats minute "a result attributed to the
manipulation to which he had been SUBJ
Jected. For the next hour he was let
alone, and the pulse at 1890 P. M.
showed less frequency by ten beats
minute.
Meanwhile, however, his temperature
had also fallen below normal, for the
first time since the shooting, indicat-
ing conclusively not only a system too
weak to sustain fever, but also ebbing
vitality. This showing occasioned the
gravest anxisty among the physicians,
for it meant that while the enemata
were retained the system was not
taking them up sufficiently to supply
the waste. Little attention was paid
to the wound at the noon examination
further than the dressing, but it was
observed that the suppurative process
| - ~
being very light and the incised parts
dry. This was regarded as natural
bat unfortunate accompaniment of
excessive debility for while the wound
is believed to be far advanced to do
without the attention heretofore given
it, it would have been gratifying to the
physicians had its progress been of a
character to relieve them of the fear OF
early complications from that source.
At the time of the noon dressing the
President had what the doctors chose
to call passage of the bowels, which
was merely the discharge of at least q
portion of the injected matter in near.
| ly the form in which it had been in.
jected. It was somewhat watery, and
the physicians concluded that some OF
its nourishment had been absorbed,
although the symptoms hardly indi-
Gated it at that time. Another dose
of the food mentioned was given early
in the afternoon, and SO long as the
President remained very quiet it did
not disturb him, but when he shifted
his position there was the same dis
charge of watery matter noted at noon,
The Prospects at Midnight.
WASHINGTON, August 16.-A mo
mentous day Is passed and midnight al
the White House finds many faces that
were dazed and and hopeless after the
evening bulletin of yesterday returning
again to their former look Of hope and
confidence. At this writing the Presi-
dents condition is slightly better. His
temperature is normal and his pulse has
fallen. The physicians are hopeful and
the members Of the Cabinet have gone
home. All depends now upon the de-
velopments of tomorrow.
WARRINGTON, August 17.-At 1.30
O'Clock this morning the President was
dozIng, but nothing could be learned oi
his condition.