Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-08
WHAT DOES IT MEAN!
MORE MYSTERY AT THE WHITE
HOUSE.
steady Rise OF FeVer-The Electric
PrObe-Talk OF It's ApPlIcatIOn-Is
There Another Pus CaVItY-PrOba-
bilItV of an Operation on the PresE-
dent To-day.


alarm over the Presidents condition. As
usual when anything adverse happens, the
doctors draw themselves inwards and will
not converse to any purpose. For the past
thirty-six hours there has been a steady but
very slow rise in the pulse and temperature.
This has been explained by the surgeons as
merely rise to- be expected 10 such cases,
which was induced by surgical fever.
To-day, however, even the official bulle-
tins showed that something was wrong. The
President ate as usual during the day, but
the fever came on earlier and lasted longer.
While the change has not been of the sud
den character Of the relapse of two weeks,
It is none the less serious.
There is difficulty in draining the wound.
/ The pus does not flow as freely as is wished.
There is also a soreness about the wound
not heretofore noticed. The indie atoms all
point to the formation of another pus cavity.
DR.. Agnew arrived from Philadelphia last
evening, but DIR. Hamilton, whom he usually
relieves, did not leave for New York this
afternoon as he had made his arrangements
]
that he was requested to remain over.
Preparations are being made for An ope-
ration of some kind tomorrow. Whether
that operation be to cut for the ball or cut
for another pus cavity, the examination to-
morrow will determine.
RESUME OF THE DAY.
| EXECUTIVE MANSION, IL P. M.-The day
at the Executive Mansion has probably
been the most quiet of any day since the
! President was wounded, and there was
some comment about the city regarding the
/ information contained in the morning bul.
letin, the language of which was: 1.-THE
! President this morning is In good condition,
although the effects of the febrile disturb.
snces OF yesterday are still slightly
! perceptiole i'm pulse and temperature. u
Many persons construed this sentence ss
indicative Of unfavorsble symptoms, but
the general public accepted it as reassur-
! ing, and consequently there have been few
! inquirers at the Mansion during the day.
At 1890 p M, when the patients wound
was dressed, his pulse was 104, temperature
I
existed at this hour was not generally
known, inasmuch as there was no bulletin
| issued, the information being privately OBJ
/ tanned from attending surgeons. The sur
geons, while admitting that the fever
/ has continued all day, as is shown by
the evening bulletin, do not appear to desire
to converse any more than is necessary on
the subject, thereby leaving the public to
! form its own conclusion as to the cause OF
the continued high pulse and temperature.
! 1t is intimated that there are indications OF
the formation of another pus cavity, but
| that its direct location has not been ascer-
| tanned.
Professor Bell being absent from the city,
| his assistant, Mr.. Taintor, was called to the
Mansion late this afternoon to consult with
| the attending surgeons regarding the use of
| the electric probe, and he was requested to
bring two cells of the battery to the Man.
sion to morrow morning. Should it be de-
| termined to use the instrument at this time
| it will probably be for the purpose of ascer-
! tanning the exact course of the wound from
| the surface of the body to the spot where the
ball is lodged, and. If possible, to discover
whether there is a pus cavity, and
IL so, its exact location. The elec-
tric probe is a flexible tube about
twelve or fourteen inches long, through
which fine flexible wires run, which are at
tached to an Indicator at the end, which is
first inserted into a wound. In endeavor-
ing to locate a ball, the instrument is grad
ually pushed forward, following the chan
mel into which it may be inserted until IT
reaches an obstruction. As soon as the
ball is reached by the probe, the indicator
Is affected, and the result is at once appa-
rent to the person performing the operation.
The perfect fexibility of the instrument
enables the operator to follow the
course of the channel very minutely,
and, while there is nothing about the in
strument to give an indication of a pus
cavity, 1t Is thought that II one existed 1t
might be discovered by an insertion of the
instrument, inasmuch as the tube is liable
to enter the cavity from the direct course OF
the wound, in which event it would, OF
course, resist the pressure of the operation
without announcing its contact with the
ball.
1t is understood that the surgeons desire
to procure perfect diagram Of the wound
aud it is thought probable that the electric
probe may be used for that purpose. The
insertion of the tube is said to be rather
trying operation. DIR. Hamilton, who wst
to have left the city this afternoon, still re-
MAINS All the attending surgeons and the
two consulting surgeons were pres
ent at the evening dressing
During the afternoon gentleman from
DIR. Bliss Office was seen near a cutlery
establishment. and, in explanation of his
presence in the locality Of the store, said
he had brought some surgical instruments
which the doctor desired sharpened. While
the indications are not necessarily conclu-
sive of the contemplation Of an opera
tion upon the President, they at least
prove that the surgeons are prepaI-
ing for any emergency which may arise.
In conversation to night, DIR. Bliss spoke
very eDcouragingly about the patient, say
ing that he was resting comfortably and had
expressed himself In general as feeling as
well as usual. In reply to question re
garding Mr.. Taintor's presence at the Man
sion this afternoon, the doctor said that be
(Bliss) had several electric probes, one OF
which he did not understand, and he had
requested Mr.. Taintor to furnish him with
a battery for the purpose of adjusting
the instrument. This the doctor explained
as precautionary measure, saying that 1t
might be desirable to Use the instrument
sooner or later. When asked the cause of
the continued high pulse and temperature,
the doctor replied: at may be caused by q
tardy flow of pus, but we haven't yet dis.
. covered It. The discharge continues
perfectly healthy and apparently
free" The doctor said, further. that
there were no indications OF the
formation of a pus cavity, and nothing to
warrant the supposition that another opera
tiOn would be found necessary. He also
repeated the assertion that the ball would
not be cut unless it should be found to be
doing the patient harm. The doctor, upon
further questioning regarding the high
pulse and temperature, said It was, posi-
bly,, dus to the extremely hot weather.
Concluding, the doctor said: eve will
probably know more about the matter in
the morning"
| TIE BULLETIN.
Executive MANSION, z p. NJ. [Oficial
Bulletin THE President has been COM
Portable during the day, although his tenn
perature began to rise earlier than vester.
day and rose almost as high. At 1890 p.
m. his pulse was 104, temperature 100,
respiration 20. At p. m. his pulse was
104, temperature 10l 2, respiration 90
Nevertheless, he has been able to take nour-
ishment as usual and has had several re-
freshing maps during the day. The dis
charge Of pus has been liberal and is healthy
in character.
FOUND DEAD.