Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-10-03
THE EVENING STAR.
MONOAY.................... OCTOBER 3. 1854.
Posi- Noyten, px.,.,u.,,.. :, $50,

dent.
OPTICAL REPORT OF THE MISUNDERSTANDING
DEATH.
The October issue Of the american Journal Of
p@ Mediooi Scis7sos-the recognized organ for
several generations of the prafession af lmeric.
contains the official record Of the post morten,
examination OF the body of President Garfis.lS
u is minute technical description of the patb-
oiogy oi the case and supplies the details To the
"Iiei outline published on the evening after the
examination. IL does not change any OF tina
statements made in that bulletin. however ex
cept IN one unimportant detail-the name Of tina
Tuptufed artery. The report is signed by Drs.
biiss, Barnes, Woodward. Reybum and Lamb.
AS IL contains paragraphs detailing the ohserya-
lions made at Washington on patholoc,ral snac,
mems preserved for that purpose the names of
Drs. Hamilton. Agnew and Smith are moi an
pended TO IL. but il has been submitted TO them
and they have given their assent Tar the other
portions of the report.
The record begins. after stating the methods
OF examination agreed upon. by describing the
external appearances of the body, the dseolora-
tions. sores and so forth observed. and then re-
lates minutely the examination Of the abdomen.
This examination made il evident. the report
says. THAT secondary hemorrhage had been the
immediate cause of death"
THE TRACK oF THE BULLET
Behind the right kidney, after the removal Of
that organ from the body, the dilated track OF The
bullet was dssected into. IL was found that
from the point at which ii had fractured the
right eleventh rib 0hree inches and a half 10 the
right OF the vertebral spines) the missile had
gone to the left, obliquely forwards passing
through the body of the first lumbar yertebra'
ana lodging In the adipose connective tissue i'm
| mediafely below the lower border of the PAN
creas, about two inches and half To the left of
the spinal column. and behind the peritoneum
IL had become completely encysted. The track
OF the bullet between the point at which il had
fractured the eleventh rib and that at which &c
| entered the first lumbar vertebra was con-
siderably dilated. and the pus had burrowed
downwards through the adipose tissue
behind the right kidney: and thence had
found Its way between the peritoneum
and the right lilac fascia making a descending
channel which extended almost TO the groin.
Inc auipose tissue behind the kidney In the vi
cinlty OF this descending channel much thick
ened and condensed by Inflammation In the
channel, which was found almost free from nus
lay the flexible catheter introduced into the
wound al the commencement of the autopsy: it's
extremity was found. doubled upon itself imme-
dlately beneath the peritoneunl. reposing upon
the lilac fascia, where the channel was dilated
| into pouch of considerable size This long de-
scendlng channel. now clearly seen to have been
caused by the burrOwng of pus from the wound
was supposed during life to have been the track
OF the bullet.
THE WOUNDED vERrEBRA
The last dorsal together with the first and
| second lumbar yertebra and the twelfth rib,
were then removed from the body for more
thorough examination. When this examination
was made 1t was found that the bullet had pen
etrated the first lumbar yertebra in the upper
part OF the right side of its body. The cancel
lated tissue of the body of the first lumbar yer-
| teDra was very much comminuted and the fray-
| ments somewhat displaced. Several deep fis-
| sures extended from the track of the bullet into
| the lower part OF the body of the twelfth dorsal
| yertebra. Others extended through the first
| lumbar Vertebra into the interyert ebral cartilage
| between it and the second lumbar yertebra.
| Both this cartilage and that next above were
partly destroyed by liberation. A number OF
| minute fragments from the fractured lumbar
| FerteDfa had been driven into the adjacent soft
| parts. 1t was further found that the right
| twelfth rib also was fractured at point one
| men and quarter to the right of the transverse
process of the twelfth dorsal vertebra; this
| INJURY had not been recognized during life
THE FATAL HEMORRHAGE
Beyond the first lumbar yertebra the bullef
continued to go TO the left, passing behind the
pancreas TO the point where il was found Here
| II was enyeloped in firm cyst OF connective
tissue, which contained besides the ball minute
quantlty OF lnsplssated, somewhat cheesy pus
| which formed thin layer over portion of the
surface Of the lead. There was also a black
shred adherent to part Of the cyst wall. which
proved on microscopical examination to be the
remains Oh blood clot. For about an inch from
| this cyst the track of the ball behind the pam
creas was completely obterated 10y the healing
process. Thence, as far backward as the body
OF the first lumbar vertebra, the tyAck was filled
with coagulafed blood, which extended on the
left into an irregular space rese In the adjoining
adlpose tissue behind the peritoneum and above
the pancreas. The blood had worked its way
TO the left, bursting finally through the peritc-
neum behind the spleen into the abdominal cav
r NY; me rending ofthe tissues by the extrsyA-
sation OF this blood was undoubtedly the cause
OF the paroxy SIMS of paiu which occurred short
time before DEATH
The report next describes the condition OF the
heart and lungs. TlO former was empty and
presented no special festures except some marks
OF fatty degenerations There were slight pleu-
rite adhesiOns on thexight side.
The record is ACCOMPANIED by engrayings from
photographs OF the iajured vertebra and of the
rnptured artery with the parts adjacent.
President Arthurs First Pardon.