National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-09-21
Population Of The National Capital. 100000
Enir Play for DIR. Bliss.

IN tnC EcncGUl COuueHlHdtlOU VI MS Hp-
parent trifing with the public in his COM
munications, official and unofficial. II is
said that he has, with astonishing dis.
regard for truth, willfully and unneces.
sarily msled the public as TO the Presi-
dents condition. Against this charge he
cannot defend himself He has deceived
the public. He has professed TO see no
dangers whenhe knew they were present.
He has denied the presence of blood
poisoning when it was obviously
making deadly ravages with his
patient He has concealed, evaded,
and denied until nobody any longer
believed anything he said. He did not
even obey the injunction to keep proba-
bility in view that some might think his
story true. His misstatements were
"like a mountain, gross and palpable."
He declared that vomiting was unaccom-
panied by nausea; that there had been
quiet nights, when between the bulletins
there had been raging fevers; that tenn
perature of 1929 was "a slight febrile
rise y that pulse of 100 was some
what accelerated pulse" that the pa
tient was eating ravenously, when he was
reluctantly tasting food that stupor was
healthy sleep; that prolonged delirium
was but momentary confusion, natural
TO one just awaking from sleep; that a
copious discharge of pus from a lung alb
cess was the result of bronchial catarrh
and so on to the end of the chapter
These representations were known TO
every one near the President to be un-
true. If the President could have seen
them he would have known them to be
untrue. The consulting physicians signed
the official bulletins, which "lied like truth,
and kept the word of promise to the ear
10 break it to the hope" until very re-
cent time, on the ground, perhaps, that
could not properly gainsay the statements
of the surgeon in charge. They finally
rebelled, and compelled some truth to be
told.
We believe the foregoing is the public's
complaint against DIR. Bliss. 1t is with this
We deal. Outside doctors may discuss the
diagnosis and treatment of the Presi-
dents case. The autopsy will settle some
disputed questions as to the former, while
the latter will be the. ':.5ject of varying
professions' .-Ss5dons.
Upon &, ~<nue,ts recited we are with the
~ =, e. against DIR. Bliss We think
there vviews of that gentleman as re-
The nm the press make the stories of
Baron Munchausen slight exaggerations
and Sir John Falstaf the very embodi-
ment of truth.
And then what? Was there method
in this madness of deception? We
answer unhesitatingly in the affirma-
tive. The good doctor went far
toward AN explanation when, at the
last, he said: ".None of my patients
have ever been buried before they died"
Very early in the case DIR. Agnew said to
newspaper correspondent who had
asked him as to the chances for the
Presidents recovery: 81 do not think
it wise for the newspapers to speculate
as to the chances of recovery" He ex-
planned that depressing words uttered or
written outside were reflected to the
President in the countenances of those
near him, all of whom he watched with
an eager and a penetrating eye. This
appeared sufficiently plain, and The Ma
TIoNAL REPUBLICAN endeavored to second
the efforts of the doctors to preserve the
morale of the sick room. The orders in
this office were that, Us rose-colored state
ments were II part of the treatment, moth
ing in our columns should conflict with
the surgeons policy. We confess to hav-
ing Systematically repressed our fears
and exaggerated our hopes in aid of that
policy. We had no reporters who could
hold candle, as the phrase goes to DIR.
Bliss in this line, but in our own humble
way we sought to tighten the gloom and
to aid in creating confidence. 1t was not
until Dr. Bliss was understood to deny
late at night any intention to per-
form an operation which was per-
formed at the next morning dressing
that The REPUBLICAN, accused him of de.
ception. He explained this by declaring
that he only denied an intention of cut
ting for the bullet. At another time ht
found the wound TO be nine inches deeper
than was supposed, and concealed the
fact for thirty hours. This seemed hiding
from the public facts known to all within
the sick room. This seemed inexcusable
But was it? IL subsequently transpired
that the President was not aware of the
fearful discovery concerning the wound
as he was not sensible of the depth tc
which the cleansing-tube entered. How
and when TO state it was q question o.
serious consequence with reference to tho
patient, who insisted on seeing all thu
bulletins.
Diagnosis and treatment must be dis
cussed by the doctors. What know edit
ors about ether And what learned edito
saw the patient? Perhaps the ball SHOULD
have been probed for at the outset. Sup
pose it had been? then it must be re
moved, or the probing would have been
cruel and useless danger. Suppose it ha,
been removed and the patient had died
Then il would have been said he wa
butchered, and that encysted balls wer
most common and harmless. The diet
the austere seclusion, the stimulants, an,
the narcotics have all been subjects of SC
we're criticism. Layman that we are, w
would not dare to dictate TO a physician
in our own case as TO either of them
And so all that the general public know
at all well is that DR.. Bliss has seemed t
be the monumental romancer of the age
And now for the other side. We un
dertake to say that DR.. Bliss has dom
well in this case in general, and by tn
much censured white lying in particular
He has for eighty days devoted himsel
20 Il,n PrnoilnnL ,ni lii ~ q N n,.rm nj n mil