Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-07-28


an obstruction existed near the inner end of
the drainage tube, which prevented free dis.
charge This Imprisonment of the pus, tech
nically known as the formation of "pus cav
ity," is entirely adequate to explain the chill
and increased fever, since they are its natural
and almost inevitable consequence. 1t was at
first thought that the obstruction might be
the result of the process of healing, which
had wholly or in part closed the wound be-
tween the end of the drainage tube and the
deeper suppurating surface. Early in the
evening, however, the obstruction wholly or
partially gave way, the outflow of pus be-
came freer, the nausea from which the patient
had suffered subsidized, and he obtained relief.
This proved that the obstruction had not been
of permanent character. At the evening
dressing of the wound the discharge of pus
was quite as copious as usual.
Sundays bulletins are in substance as fol-
lows:
The condition Of the President today
was the source of much anxiety, and in the
absence of official information later than the
morning bulletin, all sorts of wild and un
founded rumors were in circulation. Since
the evening bulletin, however, more hope
full feeling has prevailed, and the excitement
of the day has to great extent subsded.
The attending surgeons tonight Go not hes.
tate to say that there has been substantial,
and they believe permanent, improvement in
the Presidents condition since this morning.
In an interview with representve of the
Associated Press at 8 A. NJ, DR.. Reyburn
expressed the opinion that the crisis of the
disturbance caused by the formation of pus
cavity had passed, and that there was now
every reason to expect an abatement, IT not
an entire disappearance of the unfavorable
symptoms Of the last thirty-six hours.
In explaining the nature of the operation
performed by DR.. Agnew this morning and
the necessity for it, DR.. Reyburn made in sub
stance the following statement: "The direc.
ton 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 angle with the
line of the back. In other words, when a
probe was introduced into the wound to a
depth of three or three and half inches, its
direction was such that its inner end was
about an inch and half from the outside OF
the body at point lower down. The exami'
nation, which was made in the presence OF
Drs. Agnew and Hamilton this morning,
showed that pus cavity had formed in the
track of the ball near or beyond the point
where it glanced from the rib, and that this
cavity could be reached by direct incision
three inches below the mouth Of the wound
1t was decided at once to perform an opera
ton. No anasthetics were used, but the
part operated upon was benumbed by spray
of ether, and wide cut was made into the
pus cavity which was reached at depth Of
little more than an inch. With the aid OF
probe aud a pair of forceps drainage tube
which is small flexible tube of rubber per-
fcrated with holes, was then introduced into
the wound made by the ball, and after being
carried through the pus cavity, was brought
out throug 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
the pus oozed into the tube through the per
forations it could escape from either end and
was repeatedly washed out with weak solu-
ton 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 entirely satisfactory to the
surgeons, and was soon followed by the relief
of the patient. The drainage tube has been
left as it was placed and will remain for the
present If the wound discharges freely
through the new opening, the tube may per
haps be withdrawn from the old one in order
to allow the latter to heal. The incision
made to day is in direct line with the deep
er parts of the wound, and it is thought that
the pus will escape through it without any Of
the obstruction which impeded its outflow
along the track of the ball and which caused
the pus cavity"