The daily gazette., 1881-07-09
OPINIONS OF THE DocToRs.
Dr. Hamilton hopeful.

DR.. Frank II. Hamilton said that he,
like everybody else, was at q loss what
to say about the symptoms of peri
tonitis in General Garfield's case. He
believed that the peritoneum must
have been injured, but thought from
the symptoms that there was ground
TO hope that the bullet had done as
little injury as ball of that size could
do in crashing through a mans rits in
among his vital organs. The longer
that peritonitis and symptoms of jaun,
dice failed to appear the more ground
for hope he thought there was. He
had looked from the first for symp.
toms Of janndice, believing that that
would follow any serious injury to the
liver.
The reports of Drs. Wales and Bliss
and the appearance Of the wound it.
self seemed to indicate, he said, that
the liver and the peritoneum had been
wounded, but in judging from General
Gartield's condition and the symptoms
of his illness thus far IL was natural to
suppose this was not the case. He
believed that the patient had passed
through the periol of danger from
shock and that oil danger of hemorrh-
age, and was now passing through the
Inflammation period without serious
symptoms. The next stage-the last
one before ce inplete recovrry-is that
of suppuration. This, he said, was
highly critical, on account Of the
many dangers following profuse sup.
puration. Secondary hemorrhage may
be induced by the injury of an srtery,
or purulent absorption may be the
means of death by blood poisoning.
In Genera Garfield's case, however,
he did not hesitate to say that there
was now ground for hope, especially
as had such a superb cOnstituti ion,
Every hour increased his chances.
SIMPLY A BAD FLESH WOUND.
DR.. N. r. Moseley, of this city, who
was for more than twenty Yeas u teach
or OF ANATOMY in Philadelphia, with DR..
Aguew, and had experience as au army
surge IN all through the late war, said
yesterday that he had been studying the
President's case carefully ever since the
first dispatches were received, aud that
nothing that has been telegraphed con-
corning the Presidents symptoms has
escaped him. The Doctor continued -
"The ball must have been diverted
from Its inward course TO downward
course, and ! think IL did not enter the
perltoneal cavity. lhluk so for these
r asons -
81. Five days and over have interven-
ed, with no symptoms OF peritonitis
such as should have shown themselves
within the past seventy-two hours.
"2. Because evidences are abundant
that none OF the hollow viscera of the
abdomen have been injured, and there
Is abundant evidence also that the kid.
| neys, the spleen and the paucreas have
not been injured. There is, moreover
a strong probability that the liver ha:
not been Injured, as the venous blood
| which is the principal blood circulating
III this organ, has not shown itself eithel
through the external wound or In the
peritunael cavity. If the President hat
been wounded in the liver there mus
have been an oozing of veDods blood, ell
ther externally or into the peritoneum
and iii the later case there would lonI
ere this time have been signs OF perlton
tits,
"For these reasons In forming dia-
gonis OF this woInd should exclude I
wound OF any OF the abdomtna
o gans and the alternative is that th,
bullet must be. in the. deep seated muscle
Of The back outside the peritoneal cayi
ly or in the muscles OF the hip. TIL,
wound is, therefore, simply bad tlesl
wound, Of which the prognosis wonl,
be favorable
ssfrue, the President must conten,
with this hot weather and with th
abominableness of the White House, al
tdifice, that ought, after his recovery, t,
be demolished and then re-erected, any
where except near the malaria of tn
Potomac. He ought to have been tax
en- to the Soldiers Home"