National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-09-21
WHAT CAUSED HIS DEATH.
a Talk with Professor BecEvith ON the
Preatdcnt'a Case.

Professor Beckwith, late president ofthe
Homeopathic College of Cincinnati, and. an inti-
mate friend and tutor Of Dr. Boynton, had talk
last Wednesday with the latter, who was visiting
at his residence in this city. From his known in
| timacy with DR.. Boynton II was surmscd that DR..
Beckwi,h would be likely to know Of interesting
points In the Presidents case not heretofore made
public. A REPUBLICAN, representative called on
DR.. Beckwith last night and asked:
"Did you see the President after he was shot2"
ayes; ] was with him most Of the time during
Saturday, afer eleven O'clock, until late In the
| evening"
"what was his condition and how would you
| have treated himg'
Ills strength was good for n few hours, when II
was evident that he had internal hemorrhage, and
his strength declined until 1t appeared that he
could not survive the night. 1t Is probable that his
life was saved by the blood clothing thereby plug
gng up the mouths OF the torn vessels which ar
rested the internal bleeding. There was large
clot Of blood in the right side fthe abdomen just
below the liver The presence Of this ciot was de-
tected late in the afternoon"
" How do you know there was blood clot in
his side7"
by percussion; the same means that are used
| to detect a solid lung" Continuing the Doctor
| said 1T was evident by the sense Of touch that
there was a clot aud IL could be well defined.
Late In the evening the President inquired, How
can ever live to get rid of this mass Of blood II
| the hemorrhage has ceascd?' That inquiry was
very pertinent TO the case and one that admits Of
but one answer, viz; You probably eau
not, unless the clot is removed. / am
| OF the opinion that the coagula OF blood
should have been removed by the aspirator;
failing by this means, incison to II and removal
| would have been proper IL Is especially well
| known to surgeons who frequently remove ovarium
| tumors that II even the smallest amount OF blood
| tnfg aT
liable to die from septicmmia and careful is the
most successful operators that even ono or two
hours nre allowed 10 intervene before the wounds
closed, and the cavity Of the abdomen is carefully
inspected, and even the very least amount OF blood
is sponged out, before closing of the wound
doctor, do you think the clot Of blood was the
cause of blood poison in the Presidents caseT'
asked The REPUBLICAN,.
| at most probably was Py@mia Is an acute dis
case, starting at q point where noxious or putrid
substances form. From this focus or point the
septic or putrid material is carried through the
system by the circulation of the blood In the
Presidents case l presume portion of the clot
was disorganized and carried OF through the OPEN
ing In his back, but portion OF 1t pu,refied and
poisoned his blood. Septic polsons accumulate in
the system in similar manner to trichina (hog
poison.) The putrcfaction develops or originates
animal life, and every point where the septic pus
| locates in the body colonies OF minute monads
form and migrate through the tissues, and each
and every colony caused more serious morbid
symptoms. Thus weeks and months at times in.
| teryenc before death ensues."
"when do you think the President began to suf.
| fer from blood-poison"
| "Less than ten days after he was injured. The
symptoms at that time indicated the presence OF
pye la
us there treatment to kill these little destroy
ers of human life?"
"There are but few instances Of recovery after
thediseMe has fully developed. The only cura-
tive treatment is what is known as anti-septic,
meaning those remedies that destroy the putre-
faction and animacule. The room should have
been iconstantly filed with medicated atmos-
phere ofthymol, one of the best known antl-septcs
and IL there had been q free opening in the abdo-
men from the first solution of the thymol should
have been constantly injected at the point of in-
| factinn