The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-11-14

neIL was Duu on inc bulft, Attef ARneR
and Hamilton came It could not have been
better"
"You say then, doctor, that the President
had chance, reasonable chance, for re-
coyery at first, but that in your opinion
these chances were all thrown away by the
wretChed treatment In the case"
"You choose to put 1t stronger than /
did, but you reached the right conclusion, !"
"IIow long did that chance for recovery
eXist-when did you lose hope?"
ION the 23d OF July, when he had the
first rigor-I think that was the date. At
any rate 1t was when he had the first rgor.
gave him up then. Up to that time |
hoped that he might get well; after that |
felt there was no ground for hope"
"Why did you reach that conclusion at
that time-was the chill certain indica.
ton OF the approach Of death ?"
"No, did not expect immediate disso-
luton; The rigor was an evidence Of
pylpmia."
"What was the occasion oil py@mia-I
mean was 1t unavoidableW
"PyIemia, you know, or blood.poison-
ing, results from broken down pus-dead
pus."
"ITad pymmia set In then 2"
II think so. You probably don't know
TIE PUBLIC NEVER DID KNOW
that the Presidents wound was never
cleansed thoroughly till three weeks after
he was shot. That Is more than | have
ever said about the matter before, but that
Is the fact OF tho whole case and the ground
for complaint OF tho Presidents surgical
treatment In the early'history Of the case
Subsequent developments fully Corrobora-
ted whOt feared them that Is, that pus
had been allowed to lie in the wound till
1t rotted and pyGmla had done It's perfect
work."
ed ~
"Yes. You know what DR.. Agnew did
as soon as he was called as consulting
surgeon. The first thing he suggested was
to make the inCison TO drain what was
then supposed to be the truck OF the ball,
but which was, US you know, only great
pus cavity which ought never to have been
doctor, remember that Crump, the
White House steward and one OF the
nurses, said that the President suffered
great deal and would sometimes scream
out that his feet felt like there was thou
sand needles In them. Did the President
suffer muchW
"lle suffered great deal from his wound
and the heat and often complained OF pain
in his feet, as Crump says"
"Was not this prickling sensation an in.
dication Of spinal trouble?" ..a
ut was. ! suggested TO DR.. Bliss at the
outset that the Presidents
SPINE WAS INJURED.
He thought not"
"You do not consider such an injury 10
the spine as the President received al
necessarily iatal?"
"No, | do not. As said before, think
the President had a chance for recovering,
but that 1t was thrown. away by the bad
management OF the case during the first
three weeks, when the pus was allowed to
accumulate and rot, causing pyRmia."
"How did Bliss come to have charge OF
the case?"
"le just took charge Of It. He happened
to be the first man called after the shooting
and lie stuck to 1t, showing everybody else
aside. Neither the President or Mrs. Gar.
field ever asked him to take charge Of the
case."
"Who wrote the bullctins2'
"Dr Bliss wrote them"
"And who made the examinations"
"Bliss always took tho pulse and respira.
ton and Reyburn took the temperature un
Ill he was dismissed The observations
were generally made when tho President
was asleep, and at the most favorable
hours"
"'And the other surgeons signed the bul.
letins upon Bliss report, without making
their own observations7"
eyes; they took Bliss word for It Until
after they went 10 Elberon, when sug.
gestGd 10 Hamilton that they were being
deceived. He took the pulse then, and L
went UP u little."
"DidGeneral Garfield ever see these bul.
letins2 2n
"only one; ono that was extremely ia
vornble was shown TO him."
"What was the condition OF
THE PRESIDENTS MIND;
was he dellrious much Of the time ?"
ayes; particularly after the first rigor.
For three weeks prior TO that Friday In
August, Black Friday Us II was called,
when II was thought he was dying, | think
II was about the 26th Of August, for three
weeks prior to that lie had been delirious
most Of the time. Then his mind cleared
up a little, and then II was, II you renem.
Der, claimed the President was better"
There was some further conversation
with regard to the case, but nothing Of
special Interest was developed. That which
l most wanted 10 hear he said, and / have
given II to you. lie alleges the most start
ling incompetency and bad management
OF Case Of surgery In which more people
were interested than ever before In single
case. lie In effect represents Bliss
as having fastened himself upon the
President and taking charge Of this most
important trust without having been called
to Il either by the wounded President or
his wife, and having charge Of the case he
allowed every chance Of saving this great
life to slip by bad management Of the trust
he had ASSUMED. The picture which ihe
plain, bold statements Of the doctor pre-.
sent Is indeed distressing one 10 the
friends Of the President and 10 the millions
who hoped aud prayed 80 earnestly for his
recovery. II Is that sad thought Of those
saddest words at might have been,n II
the President, Dr.. Boyntoh says, had had
proper surgical care al the first, he might
have gotten well. The reasons he gives
will be taken for what they are worth,
measured by the degree Of competency oi
the critic who condemns Df. Bliss work,