New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-24

food without disarranging his stomach; sew
eral times he called for food himself. One OF
the physicians said that the President took
more than sufficient food to repair the days
waste. At one time his pulse was down to
96 the lowest point it has reached for more
than fortnight. Secretary Blaine in his dis
match to Minister Lowell last night took
more encouraging view than on the night
before.
THE SITUATION SOMEWHAT IMPROVED.
TAKING FOOD MORE THAN SUFFICIENT TO REPAIR
THE BAYS WASTE THE PULSE REACHES A
LOWER POINT THAN FOR NINETEEN DAYS -
PUBLIC APPREHENSION SLIGHTLY RELIEVED
CONVERSATION WITH DR. BLISS.
IBY TELEGRAPH TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON Aug. 23.--The President is better,
and qualified expressions of hope warranted.
The stomach the chief cause of anxiety for week,
has performed its duties today with much greater
readiness and III every way more satisfactorily than
for several DAYS. Before noon much food in
weight had been administered by the mouth rs in
the preceding twenty-four hours; 1T was
all retained and assimilated. The food,
moreover, was, in considerable part, of
heartier and more nourishing character,
beef essence the juice of bcefsteak and peptonized
milk forming part of the bill of fare. At pc
mod this afternoon the pulse fell to 90 beats in
minute, lower point than it has reached before
within nineteen days. An encouraging
sign of progress. or what is hoped
may prove to be progress is the fact that the increase
of action by the stomach has heretofore been
accompanied by sogreat rise in the evening febrle
indications. The glanduar irritation remains about
the same as yesterday, and is yet source of anx-
ety. The Presidents physicians do not think it will
be a serious matter, unless the stomach again fails,
when the patient WILL of course be so greatly de-
blitated that danger may be apprehended from tri-
fles The opinion is expressed by the physicians
that the food consumed to-day has been more than
sufficient to repair the days waste, the surplus of
course going for the drainage of tomorrow and
adding to the Presidents power successfully to re-
sist and overcome the effects of future possible COM
phcations of his disease.
Public opinion does not respond so freely tonight
to favorable indications as formerly and there is a
noticeable hestat to admit that the days his
tory is the probable beginning of the PATIENTS Jour
ney toward convaescence. There is an impression
that season of weary suspense, of alternate hopes
and fears to continue for several days has been en-
tered upon the issue of which it would be folly to
attempt to foretell. The fact remains, however,
that the history of to-day is wholly favorable al
though the progress made is slight
One of the Presidents attendants described one of
the manifestations of the Presidents de irium,
which is given as sample of others, and which
seems to show that it was by means an alarming
with tickling in his throat, which caused him to
cough Having partially recovered from the cough
ing, he said, 4" thought over in that
corner who coughed just when did, and it annoyed
me considerably" He then began talking with DIR.
Bliss, nationally. a wish" he sad that could
take my wife and you and your wife and 90 to Men,
tor. perhaps it would be better to go to the sea-
siden
well, all that is coming in the future" replied
the Doctor. cheerfully.
But when can we get awayi" asked the Presi-
dent. wearily.
THAT we cannot tell" answered the Doctor "You
must get so YOU can sit up little first"
A friend of DIR. Bliss met him this afternoon and
in friendly way made inquiries in regard to the
several features of the Presidents treatment about
which the doctors have been most severely criti-
cised.
Doctor. why don't you move your patient from
the White Housef" was the first inquiry
Because" was the reply, lit would kill him."
"Would you move him if you couldf"
"Of course" was the reply. 1--WE would do so if
it were possible. We want to move him. We have
boat all ready for that purpose"
well, Doctor, at one time, when was in Lon
don, was i'll that there was no hope of INV re-
covery if stayed there. was moved, and it saved
my life."
Would anything have been said about il il Won
had died I" asked the Doctor, sarcasticaiy "Where
would we be if this patient should die W
"Now, look here, Doctor" it was rotorted "if the
President dies you are to be swung up to a lamp-
post anyway"
This was, OF course said facetiously and the Doe
tor answering in the same vein, said he did not
know but that he should be. He then pulled n
letter from his pocket which he had just received
and which contained threats of terrible things to
be visited upon the heads of the attending pbysi
clans If they fail to the Presidents hfe The
conservation being resumed, the friend inquired
what was the reason that the physicians failed to
make public the fact that they had discovered that
the wound was still open to depth of more than
twelve inches until twenty-four hours after the
discovery made
We'll in the first place." was the reply. "tbe
noon bulletin had been made out before that fact
had been ascertained, and could not be recalled In
the next place. neither of the consulting surgeons
was there In the evening, and VIC did not think IL
was OF much consequence whether the public
Thought, for an additional twelve hours, that the
wound was four inches deep or five inches more.
We do not always make our discoveries public at
the first moment. but sometimes wait until we in
Sestigate the symptoms and see what they mean"
The Doctor then explained that the physicians
had all along known that there was an unexplored
cavity, as thew had always found pus there, which
manfesed Its presence by its general influence upon
the system when it was fully taken out
Doctor" said the friend again, " / find in this
nty great feeling that the President has been suf
'ering from some malarial disease For instance.
sman said to me the other night that the relapse
occurring at intervals of seven days demonstrated
u, and that its periodicity was quotidian."
Wen" said the Doctor I'VE have given the
RESIDENT hfteen-grain doses of quinine, ten-grain
eoSes and hve-grain doses according as we thought
ia han