The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-10-03
AN OFFICIAL REPORT
OF THE LATE PRESIDENTS AUTOPSY
OHlrIal Record Of the POst.xOrtsn Examination
OF Garfield - Food for Digestion BY the
Medical Fraternity Interesting De-
tails OF the Observations.


by the surgeons in charge:
Official record OF the post moriem cxami-
nation of the body Of President j, \. Gar
field, made September 20, 1881, commenc-
ing at 4;30 =, NJ, eighteen hours utter death,
at Francklyn Cottage, Elbcron, Nj.
Present and assisting Dr, D. W, Bliss;
Surgeon General j. X, Barnes, U. S, A.;
Surgeon j. j. Woodward, U, S, A.; DR..
Robt. Reyburn, DIR. Frank II, Hamilton,
DR.. D, Hayes Agncw, DR., Andrew II.
Smith, of Elbcron and New York, and act
ing Assistant Surgeon d, $. Lamb, OF the
Army Medical Museum, Washington, d, G,
Before commencing tho examination a
consultation was held by these physicians
in u room adjoining in which the body
lay, and it was unanimously agreed that
the dissection should be made by DIR,
Lamb, and Surgeon Woodward should
record the observations made, 1t was
further unanimously agreed that the era
MUM should not be opened.
Surgeon Woodward then proposed that
the examination should be conducted us
follows: That the body should bo viewed
externally, and any morbid appearances eX-
listing recorded; TINT n Catheter should be
passed into the wound, as was done during
life to wash II out, for the purpose Of assisL-
ing to find the position OF the bullet that
II long inCision should next be made from
the superior extremity OF the sternum to
the pubs, and this crossed by trans.
verse one Just below the unbilicus; that
the abdominal flaps thus made should then
be turned back and the abdominal visccrn
examined; that after the abdominal cav
ity was opened the position Of the bullet
should be OsCertained II possible before
making any further incision, aud that H.
nally the lhOmciG yiscera should be CX-
umincd. This order OF procedure was
unanimously agreed to- The eXamina-
ton was then proceeded with. The follow
ing external appearances were observed:
The body was considerably emaCiated,
but the face was muCh less wasted than
the limbs. A preservativG fluid had been
injected by the embnlmer few hours be-
fore into the left femoml artery, The pipes
| llhtNl AAl hllI 'AoS NNlN 'A'Al pS7ttAOlAs
The interior surface OF the body presented
no abnormal appearances, and there was
no ecChymOsis or other diBCOlOrltion OF
any part Of the front OF the abdomen.
Just below the right ear and Il little behind
it, there was MI oval nlCCmted opening
about mn inch in diameter from which
some saniOus pus was escaping, but no
tumeiaction could be observed In the par
Otid region.
A considerable number Of pupFd like
spots were scattered thiCkly>OvC the left
scapula, and thence forward us far as tho
axilla. They ranged from one-eighth to
one.iourth Of IN inch in diameter, were
slightly elevated and furiumceous on the
surface, and many OF them were continent
in groups Of two to four or more. A SINH
lar, but much less abundant eruption was
observed sparscly scattered over the CORES.
ponding region Of the right side. An oval
excavated ulcer about an inch long, the re-
suit OF small carbuncle, was cited over
the spenous process OF the tenth dOrsAl
yertebra.i Over the saCrtim there were
four small bed Sores the largest about half
nh inch in diameter. A few aCOne pustules
and number Of irregular spots Of post mort
en- hypostatiC congestion were scat
tered over the shoulders, back and
buttocks. The interior part of the scrOtum
was much disColored by hypOstatiC Conges.
tion. A group OF hGmOrrhoidal tumOrs
rather larger than walnut prOtruded from
tie antis. Tie depressed ccatriX OF the
wound made by the pistol bullet was rec.
ogniZed over the tenth intercostnl space,
tllree.and.a.half inches to the right OF the
vertebru spenis. a deep linear incisiOn,
mnde In part by the operation Of July, and
extended by TINT of August 8, occupied II
pOsItiou closely corresponding TO the upper
LborticY OF the right twelfth rib 1t com
menced pOsterIOrly about two inches from
the vertebru spenis md extended forward
II little more than three INCHES AT the in
terror extremity Of this nCision there was a
deep, nenrly square, abraded surface abont
an inch across.
A well oiled flexible catheter, fourteen
inches long, WIS then passed into the
wound, MS Ind been done TO wash out dur.
ing life. More rcsiststancc was at first Ell.
colintCred than had usually been the case,
Init aiter several triAls the catheter entered
wiiliout violence TO It's full length. II was
then loft In position, and the body disposed
supincIy for the examination Of the YiscCra
Tho Cranium was not opened. A long In
C;sion was made from the superior extrc.
nifty OF the sternum to the pubil, fnllawed
by Il transverse incision, crossing the Rb'
i1men itist below the umbilicus. The fOtlt
daps thus formed were turned back and the
abdominal yiscern exposed.
The slibgutAneOus adip0sG tissue divided
by incisions was little more than one
eighth OF an inch thick over tlle tllornx
but was thicker over the abdomen, being
nbotit II quarter OF an inch thick along the
linpn albt, and as much as half IN incl
thicker toward The outer extremity Of the
transverse lCisiOli On inspection Oi the
, abdominal yiscera IN stir, the transverse
rolon waa observed to lie. above tile line d
tho ,,mbilicus, II was firmly alhCrcht Il
iiie anterior edge Of the llypr The grentei
N,neniuin covered the intesIines pretty
thoroughly from the transverse colon al
, most in tile pubjs, II was still quite lat
, and was very much blackened by venoti!
congestion, On both silts iLg lateral mar
sins we're adlerrnt 10 tia abdominal pa
= fieIes opposite the eleventh and tYelftl
| ribs, On tile left side the ndllesiOns wGrt
numerous, firm, well organized, and prob
ably old.
4 foot note here says These adhesions
. or the firm ones on the right side ns well ai
those Of the spleen, possibly date back L
nm attack Of chronic tySshtery, from whlri
the patient Is sid 10 llHye suffered durinL
The war. Oh tie right side there were {
. few smaller adhesions, and number o
, more delicrte End probably recent ones.
A mass Of back, con. .,ul,ded blood cover
ed and concealed tie spleen and leit q mar
. pin OF, tie grealer omehttnrY On tile r1is
: Inc oitlie o,nentum Il was found that thl
blood mass extended through the lett lum
| bat and lilac regions and dipped down int
the pelvis, in which there y. some clotlei
! blood and rather more tlici pint o
, bloody fluid. 4 foot note lle 9 says a largt
. part Oi this iluid had probably tranSude'
trntn Ihe infection material oil the eInbalm