The daily gazette., 1881-08-18
SECOND EDITION
The President Rallies.

a DECIDED CHANGE FOR THE
BETTER IN HIS CONDITION.
WASHINGTON, August ia ray OF
hope, slight indeed, but yet palpable,
breaks in on the gloom of to-day. The
favorable change looked for with SO
much anxiety by DR.. Reyburn yester-
day, and on whose arrival within the
last twenty-fonr hours he based his only
hope of the Presidents recovery, seems
to have come, and the chances are now
about even. The events of the day in
the sick room may be summed up in
the statement that the President has
really held his own. Whether ne will
continue to do so, or whether extraor-
dinary vigilance on the part Of his ply
sicians has only succeeded in temporarily
arresting the oncoming Of the grim de-
stroyer, the next few days a.one can tell.
Little confidence is placed in the bull
letins Of the ply sicians to day ; but the
evidences of more favorable condition
are deGuced from the waning anxiety
among the prominent Government OFF,
cials and the quietude about the White
House. The regular bulletins continue
TO be conched 10 language that gives but
half the truth. To- nights says that
beet extract was administered ID the
regular way and was retained on the
stomach, but IL does not tell that after
the second teaspoonful had been given
the President became very sick, and
while he did not vomit, his retching
warned the physicians to desist. This
Is fact.
WARRINGTON, August 1S.-At 2.30
q. m. the President was DOING, and the
doctors on watch reported that there was
every prospect of a good night.
What the Doctors Say.
WARRINGTON, August 1.-THE doe.
tors in attendance on the President were
to certain degree happy to day, and
they all agreed that the patient Was bet
ter than on yesterday. An increase of
hope was evident In the relieved express
sion of their faces. DR.. Bliss was most
emphatic in his statement that the
President was very much better, while
the other physicians either merely agreed
with him or toned down his opinions by
saying that while the President was yet
In very critical condition yet there
was abundant and solid ground for hope
and that the chances were In his favor.
DR.. ReyburD, who has from the start
been most guarded in his assertions and
has been careful TO have his remarks ex.
press accurately the condition of the pa
tlent, said when greeted during the af-
ternoon and asked for some good news:
eyes, can give you good news, for the
President is better than he was and we
are about to offer him food again. Since
Monday last, when bis stomach refused
to work and became so irritable, we
have given him nothing but cold water
or Ice rounded up and swallowed. At
first you know the stomach refused to
retain this aud the water thrown of; now
we find that the crushed ice Is retained,
and we are about to administer some
cooled infusion of beef. or course it
will be but a small amount, but If the
stomach acts kindly towards it we shall
feel very much encouraged. Meanwhile
we are treating him with enemata made
up Of nutritious articles presented in
the most absorbable forms. We give
an injection about every four hours, half
cupful or less-beef tea generally; but
when We wish something more stimula-
ting, then whiskey and egg is given.
He seems to be getting some nutrition
by this means and it may be kept up
for some time.
DR.. Norris has patient who was sHs-
tained by this artificial method of admin
istering food for folty-eight DAYS, and
there Is another case where the patient
was carried along for six weeks by that
method until it was safe and proper to
begin to offer food in the ordinary way.
The wound of the President presented a
very favorable appearance when it was
dressed early this morning. There Is no
trouble at that pOint-none Whatever
and when we get the stomach once more
under control, as We hope to do within
the next twenty.four hours, then we
shall 60 on again towards complete and
thorough recovery. We begin to feel
very much encouraged as we see the ac-
cumulatlng signs that the stomach Is to
resume its normal condition and act pro-
perly on the articles placed in it. We do
not trace any direct connection between
the wound and the present depressed
condition of the President. He was in a
weak and feverish condition, and with
the refusal of the stomach to retain food
we had an entirely new problem to
grapple. think there has been more
gloom felt outside than in the sick room.
do not think there has been moment
when hope has abandoned the physicians
In charge. We have pursued one policy
from the start, that is of meeting every
condition as it arises, and that we are
doing now. The febellious stomach is
one Of those conditions-a very unfavor-
able one, sdmit-to be met and trea-
ted entirely independent of the wound
proper. think the President appre
ciates the gravity of the positl On he is in
and be is husbandingS his strength In a
very discreet manner. Tdoubt If he has
spoken ten words 10 ten hours, and then
only to indicate some what his very at
tentive nurses bad not anticipated. He
is getting the very best of care from his
personal attendants and his room is a
very favorable one for sick man. None