Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-09-30
THE PRESIDENTS CASE.
An Interesting Statement by DIR. Frank
Hamilton, One of the Consulting Sur
geOns.

An Interesting Statement by DIR. Franl
Hamilton, Ono of the Consulting Sur
geOns.
[New York Telegram.]
In the next number of Tile Medical
Gazette, which is to great extent the
organ of the rising generation of ply
sicians, and of the American Academy
of Medicine, will appear an exhaustive
review of the presidents case, obtained
from Dr. Frank Hamilton. 1t was die
tated by DR.. Hamilton, and is as follows
$50 far as am informed, the testimony
is conflicting as to the relative positions
Of the president and the assassin when
the pistol was fired. 1t is now rendered
probable that the assassin stood well to
the right and slightly in the rear of the
president. The ball entered about four
inches to the right of the spine,
penetrating and comminuting the
eleventh RIB, entering the intervertable
substance between the last dorsol and
first lumbar vertebra, and, passing OBJ
liquely forward emerged at point near
the center of the first lumbar vertebra in
front and was found some distance to the
left of the vertebra of the lower margin
OF the pancreas, being situated nearer its
posterior than its anterior surface, Who'll
ly without the peritoneal cavity. l saw
the patient the morning of July 4. We
were then informed Of the manner OF the
shooting, and that on the receipt of the
injury the president had fallen to the
floor. He complained of pain in the
right ankle, and subsequently in the
course of the day of a similar pain in his
left ankle, which pains had been prompt
ly relieved by the hyperdemic injection
OF morphine. He vomited Immediately
after the receipt of the injury, and in the
course of the day his urine had to be
drawn once by the catheter. There was
not when first seen by myself, nor has
there been at any time subsequently,
any apparent
LOSS OF POWER
in his lower extremities, or diminution OF
the natural sensibility at any point. The
pains in his ankles, however, were ac-
companied with hyperasthia of the integ-
ument, and few days later it was OBJ
served that there was hyperasthia of the
integument of the right side of the. scre-
tum. All these symptoms, the pain and
the hyperasthia, disappeared wholly in
the course of the first week or two, and
never returned. On the morning of the
4th of July, the patient being partially
under the influence of morphine, was not
suffering pain. The bowels were tym-
panitic, and the pulse was feeble. At
the first consultation the question had
arisen as to the probable course Of the
ball. 1t was stated that Surgeon General
Wales, of the navy, had on the day of the
receipt of the injury introduced his finger
to the full extent, and that he de-
clared that it penetrated the sub
stance of the liver, the structure
of which he recognized by its granular
feeling ,and DR.. Bliss stated that he had in
troduced probe about three inches,
which seemed to have passed in the same
direction. This testimony was regarded
sufficient to determine that ~
THE BALL
was at least beyond our reach, and be-
yond the reach of safe exploration. DR..
Woodward had introduced his finger suf-
ficiently deep in the wound to determine
that the rib was broken. Finding upon
personal examination and inspection that
the track of the wound was completely
closed by firm clot, refused to make
any further exploration" The doctor
next gives summary of treatment of the
case up to and through the trouble with
the parotid gland, the details of which
are already familiar to the public. He
then proceeds: Following the parotldis
there was a gradual development of bron-
chitis in the right lung, and finally bron-
ho-pneumonia of the lower portion of the
right lung, indicated by well-defned
dullness and total absence of the re-
spiratory murmur in that region. From
that time until the period of his removal
from Washington there are no events OF
striking interest worthy Of being related
in this brief summary except the
ALARMING WEAKNESS
and great somnolency of the patient
which occurred on the oath, 25th and 26th
of August, and which led to an appre-
hension that fatal issue was at hand
The patient was evidently suffering from
atmospheric influences, the heat being
intense and oppressive, and most of the
time the air being motionless, so that a
leaf could not be seen to stir ON the trees
around the White house. There was NO
evidence, however, at any time that the
patient suffered from malaria having its
source in the house drainage or the
marshes in the vicinity, and which latter
at later time in the season had always
been regarded as pestiferous. His
REMOVAL TO LONG BRANCH
was effected without injury or discomfort
to the patient, and with only slight
amount Of fatigue. There was no day
while he lay in the cottage at Long
Branch that he did not express himself
as pleased and even delighted with the
change, nor was he ever Oppressed by the
heat, although one of the days, the first
after his arrival, was the hottest day of
the season. At 2 O'Clock in the after
noon of this day, when the heat was
greatest, in reply to my inquiry, he said
he experienced on discomfort. From this
time until the period of his death, which
was sudden and unexpected, there is ne
incident worthy Of special note, except
there was gradual change in the last
two or three days for the. worse. The
manner of his death and the result of the
subsequent autopsy are sufficiently ex-
planned in the official bulletin:''
Here follows the official statement of
the autopsy. The doctor then continues:
cit may be necessary to repeat, inasmuch
as contrary statements have been made,
that the lungs contained not even the
most minute assesses, and that there was
no metastatic abscess found in any of the
structures examined, except one less than
q half inch in diameter near the surface
of the left kidney. There were three
small ser0us cysts under the peritoneal
covering on the convex edge of the right
kidney, each about the size of vertical
section Of a large pea. The abscess found
between the transverse column and the
liver was evidently not metastatic, but