Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-11-28
EASTERN DISPATCHES,
The Garfield Autopsy-Wrony In
pressions and Stories Regarding
It-Surge0n Lamb Explains.

WASHINGTON. November %. - Dr..
Lamp. who performed the autopsy upon
the body Of President Garfield, fur.
nisbes the following:
There prevails to some extent On i'm.
preston that the post-mort.m exsmina-
ton Of the late President Garfield was q
careless aud haphazard one. without
order or merit, and that the bullet was
only found by accident. This imprts.
sion is entirely incorrect. The order Of
examination was prearrapged In q con.
sultation for the purpose. and was
carried ont as far as the developments Of
the autopsy permitted. It was necessary
10 ASCERTAIN the extent and character OF
the injury and. II possible. to obtain the
missile. All things considered. the only
way In which these objects could be 40.
complished. was BY frst opening the alb
dominal cavity.
Much has been said about the ballet
being found In the wash-basin. and the
statement has been industriously cir.
culatsd by ~prejudioed parties. The
facts are as follows: Tho search for the
bullet was prosecuted carefully. system
atically and successfully. and the latter
is NO small matter. In view Of the fact
that In many ~post.mortem examinations,
even after careful, laborieus and persist.
emit search, the missile has not been
found. Failing to fnd Il there, the pas
channel was then followed mp. but this
procedure made Il necessary to remove
the everything organs. Those being 70.
moved, the parts were temporarily
placed In Q large china wash-bowl,
until they could be examined In
the order prescribed In the preliminary
consultation. The pus channel led up
to the fractured ribs and vertebra. The
situation Of the opening Of the exit OF
the bullet from the latter indicated the
probability Of its further track being In
o hemorrhage clot In the tissues re-
moved. While the examination OF the
vertebre was being made. n OF the
surgeons assisting turned his attention
to the parts removed, and discovered
there the position Of the bullet. There
was nothing at oil Of the nature OF the
accident in the name 10 which 1t was
found. It had formed for itself q cyst
In the wall beneath the pancroas. After
completing the examination Of the ysrts.
br@, I cut the cyst open and took the
bullet out OF 1t. It has been suggested
by some that after the removal OF the
parts from the body. their relations
could no longer DO recognized. This
difficulty could only occur TO n who
was unfamiliar With anatomy.
No formal reply has yet been made to
the many unjust and sften senssless
criticisms which have been so freely be.
slowed upon this autopsy. / had expect
cd that q complete exposition OF the
points criticized would have been made
In the course OF the testimony Of the
medical witnesses. but, with one excep-
ton, they were afforded no opportunity
and the gentleman excepted inadver.
IDENTIFY omitted some Of the particulars
related above. I believe therefore the
public should be made acquainted with
the facts, In order that II may not either
misjudgs the surgeons, nor suppose the
autopsy was incomplete. or was improp.
erly conducted.
(Signed): D. L. LAMB,
Acting Assistant Surgeon.