The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-08-04
,tG,3s- Z 4 . VI u ~ G-=e = .l.s -
A RAPID RECOVERY.
That is What all the Indications Prom.
ise In the Case OF the Wounded
President.
THE PRESIDENT.
Yesterday ut Tho White House.

Yesterday ut The White House.
Special Telegram % the P1oo69 tre1A
WASHINGTON, July 3l.-It was essentially Z
day Of resi- 1t the White House to-day, aud
evening found the old mansion still wrspped
in quiet and peace. DR.. Bliss came out from
the physicians room in response to your cor
respondents card and talked quite freely about
the condition and prospects:
While W. 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 cf the
day? The president has passed 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. = z.s- -
= What did he eat to.day?" He has eaten more
solid food to-day than any time since
this operation Was performed. He wanted to
know il he could not have substantial breakfast,
aud concluded to let him have his choice. He
chose lamb chops and mashed potatoes. with cream
and salt. This gave him, aud was feeding it 10
him, when his wife in and claimed that right
herself I 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 a
silver half-doar in all, perhaps. Besides this. he
ate bis usual portion of
BEEF ESSENCE AND MILK AND RUM AND EGG.
We gave him the yolk If 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 lie though he tasted
the egg a 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 bali?
We We have made experiments with the bal
ance aud are pretty we'll satisfied that cat locate
the ball. We will make another trial to- morrow.
The first one was made two weeks ago. The report
ers did not get hold Of the fact. 1t was the
ONLY THING THEY DID NOT GET HOLD or
The examination was made during the dressing of
the wound. I moved the point and Mr.. Bell
listened for the noise. Finally the point touched
spot which was slightly discolored. had moved
the point off the place, but We 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 and two inches to the right
Of the 1hedah line.
What is tile condition Of the wound? It is In very
healthy condition. The upper part Is healing fast
and the original opening will be closed in few
days: The disGhatge is more healthy to-day than
at any time kiiow of. The now of pts is very CO.
pious, and its color the very best:
What does the president complain Of? He is
not . complaining man. but tonight asked us to be
as careful as possible in dressing the
wound, as the body in certain por-
tions was very sore I was, therefore, just
as careful as possible, and got along without any
trouble, and the president was soon asleep. The
examinations are very carefully made. but. the
president ha. to be moved about it always excites
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
evening rise of fever was not very markell
Dr. Bliss says the presidents wound is very
sore, and that naturally he breads the dress
ings; that the state of bis pulse, temperature
and respiration, are taken Immediately after
causes pulse and temperature to rise above the
actual fever height Tho surgeons are con-
Weed that this theory is correct because the
fever always recedes 80 early after the even
ing dressing: 1t did tonight. and at o p. M
tas ashout sny fev.r pfsts 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
discolored for few days after the wound was
recevsa the e1setrsa1 5 apparatus vibrsted rate
ly as it was intended, indicating the
LOCATION OF THE BULLET.
Tho vibration was sufficient to satisfy
the surgeons that the ball IS
lodged just where DR.. Bliss said 1t
was on the interior wall Of the stomach, and
Bell worked last night and to-day at his ap-
paratus, and now says he has so perfected it
that it will positively locate the bullet to a
depth Of five inches below the surface.
The surgeons have decided to mako another
test o-n,orrow with the improved apparatus.
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
tho experiments have gone, they have sus-
tanned DR.: Bliss's theory, Of tho course and
EXECUTIVE MANSION, July 81. 11:lj p m
The day at the White House passed very
quietly, reports from the sick room being with
out exception of 4 very favorable char
acter. DR.: Bliss. i'll conversation on
the presidents condition, when asked
every evening, said it was simply the result
of surgical fever. 1T Is mistaken idea" he
added, "to suppose that all surgical fcvors are
continuous" iustancing Immediately number
of cases that have been in his charge
as proof Of his assertion. Since the
issuance OF the p: M. bulletin the
about ten beats, and is at this hour 81, with
Temperature normal The pulse of President
Garfield was the subject of discussion by the
surgeons to-day, and it was concluded it was
about the 50 r,t;ast 1sa' continue, 1r S1s to 1sa 5
prove for tie next two weeks proportionately
to his improvement of the past fow days there ls
no reason why he will not be able to sit up
during the third week, or probably sooner:
During the course of further convorsatiOn 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
ly to give the exact condition of tho president,
whether it be favorable or unfavoracle. As an
instance of this he referred to tho fact Of
ten times when. tho evening examination
was made. the fever would be found at its
height, and perhaps Immediately afterwsrd it
WOulu 08SO 0A1uOos uao~PPS0ASUS ONo sAA0 SOu"
dt,on 1t the moment Of the examination, he
said, is invariably taken for bulletins. The
fever, although it may be variable, always
makes it's appearance sooner or later.
In referring to the probable location of the
bali Dr. Bliss explained in detail the expert
ment by means OF the induction balance, which
occurred Ut every dressing of the wound. Yes
terday. although the apparatus was
afterwards discovered out Of adjust
ment, it indicated at the time
the ball lies in front Of the wall Of the abdo-
men. about tive inches below and to right of
navel and just over the groin, precisely where
the attending surgeons have always maintained
it had lodged.
will be made by Prof. Bell to-mor-
row forenoon with improved apparatus,
which it is claimed will detect the bullet at =
depth Of i've inches from the surface Dr.
Bliss is of the opinion that this experiment will
result in fixing definitely the exact location Of
the ball.
In response to inquiry as to whether the
ball il it should be found to be in
the front wall of the abdomen, would be likely
"a cause tie president any serious annoyance.
DR.. Bliss said unless it had carried some bone
with it, in which case IN abcess might form,
A. %o sh1oaov,o a