The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-11-28
AUTOPSY on GARFIELD's RoDY.
Lambs Report ROmOvlng Erroneous Hm-
pFeSSIOnS Regarding Its Character.

REebsious heSuFuAnB Ata GuuEucteF'
WASHINGTON, Misunderstanding As
sistant Surgeon Lamb, who performed the
autopsy upon President Garfield, furnishes
the following; There prevails to some ex-
tent an impression that the examination oi
the body Of the late President was o care
less and haphazard one, without order or
method, and that the bullet was only found
by accident, This impression Is entirely
incorrect, The order Of the examination
was pre.arrauged I'M n consultation held for
that purpose, and was carried out as far as
the developments OF the autopsy permitted.
1t was necessary 10 ascertain the extent and
character Of the injury and II possible to
obtain the missile, All things considered,
the only way In which these things could
be accomplished was by first opening the
abdominal cavity,
Much has been said about the bullet be-
ing found in the basin and the statement
has been industriously circulated by pre-.
judiced parties, The facts are rs follows;
The search forthe bullet was prosecuted
carefully, Systematically and successfully,
and the atter Is no small matter in view Of
the fact that In many post mortem exami.
nations, even after careful laborious and
persistent search. The missile has not been
found. It was first sought for near the
groin, where It was expected by some It
would bO found, Falling to find it there,
the pus channel was then followed up,
but this procedure made it necessary 10
remove the everything organs These re-
moved, the parts were temporarily placed
in u large China wash bowl until they
could bo examined in the order prescribed
in the preliminary consultation. The pus
channelled up to the fractured ribs and
yertebHC, The position OF the opening OF
the exit OF the bullet from the latter lndi.
cated tho probability Of its further truck
being In the hemorrhRglc Clot in the tissues
removed, While the examination OF
the vertebrp was being made one OF the
surgeons assisting turned his attention to
the parts removed, and discovered there
the position Of the bullet. There was moth
ing at all Of tho nature Of accident in the
manner In which II wOs found. II had
formed for itself cyst wall beneath the
pancreas. After completing the examina-
ton Of the vertebrate / cut the cyst open
and took the bullet out OF It. It hcd been
suggested by some that after the removal
OF the parts from tho body their relations
could no longer bo recognized. This dill.
Guilty could only occur to one
who was unfamiliar with anatomy. No
formal reply has yet been made to
many unjust and often senseless criticisms,
which had been so freely bestowed upon
this autopsy. | had expected that com.
plete exposition Of the points criticized
would have been made In the course Of the
testimony Of tho medical witnesses. But
with one exception they were afforded no
opportunity, and the gentleman excepted
inadvertently omitted some Of the particu.
lars related above. | believe, therefore,
that the public should be made acquainted
with the facts in order that 1t may not
either misIudge the surgeons, nor suppose
that the autopsy was Incomplete or was
Improperly conducted.
LSigned. D. L. LAMB,
Acting Assistant Surgeon.