The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-07-28
A SatlsfactorY Oncration.

WASHINGTON, d. c., July 24.-In ex-
planning the nature of the operation per-
formed by DIR. Agnew this a. m, and the
necessity for if, DR.. Reyburn made in
substance the following Statement:
"The directions taken by the ball
after it entered the body was forward
and slightly downward until it struck
one of The ribs. 1t was thence DETECTED
still further downward and little to the
right, so as to make an acute angle with
the line of the back. In other words,
when the probe was introduced into the
wound TO depth of 81 inches its direc.
ton was such that it's inner end was
only about an inch and half from the
outside of the body at point lower
down. The examination, which was
made on the President by Drs. Agnew
and Hamilton this a. m, showed that a
PUs CAVITY HAD FORMED
in the track of the ball near and beyond
the point where it glanced from the rib,
and that this cavity could be reached
only by direct incisiOn three inches
below the mouth of the wound. 1t was
decided at once to perform the opera
tion. No an9sthetics were used, but
the part to be operated on was
bcnumbed by spray of ether, end a wide
cut made into the pus cavity, which was
an inch, with the aid of probe and q
pair of forceps. The drainage tube, per
forated with holes. was then introduced
into the wound made by the ball, and at
ter being carried through the pus cavity,
was brought out through the newly
made incision. One end of the tube
then projected from the cut made by the
surgeons knife and the other from the
mouth of the original wound. As tie
pus oozed into the tube through the
perforations it could escape from either,
and was repeatedly washed out with a
weak solution of carbolic acid and water,
which was thrown through the tube in a
stream. The discharge which followed
the opening of the pus cavity was en-
tirely satisfactory TO the surgeons and
was soon followed by relief to the
patient. The drainage tube has been
will remain there for the present II
the wound discharges freely through
the new opening the tube may perhaps
be Withdrawn from the old one in order
TO allow the latter to heal. The incision
made today is IN q line with the
DEEPER PARTS OF THE WOUND.
and it is thought the pus will escape
through it without any of the obstruc-
ton which impeded its outflow along
the track of the ball and which caused
the pus cavity. In reply to a question
whether another pus cavity is likely to
form and bring about recurrence of
the alarming symptoms of yesterday
DIR. Rcyburn said: 1 cannot answer
positively, but as the pus now has free
egress do not think it probable that
another cavity will form. Being asked
whether there were or had been any
symptoms in the present case of pyemia
or blood poisoning DIR. Reyburn said,
"None whatever. Rigor, of course, may
be symptom of pyemia, but it is also
symptom of various other complica-
tions, and it does not point to py8mia
IN the Presidents case. The pus con-
tinues healthy and characteristic symp-
toms of py8mia are all wanting. You
may say upon my authority that no in
dication of blood poisoning has been
observed, and we have no reason to ex-
pect any. In conclusion DR.. Reyburn
said, the Presidents condition and
symptoms tonight are more favorable
and more encouraging than at any time
since the chill of yesterday morning.