Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-09-25
GARFIELD'S LAST DAY.
An Interesting Review of How He
Passed His Last Hours.
Cor. New York SUM-.

:
the president was a little better. He
seemed to have some appetite, and no in
dications of an approaching chill were
noted. The insidious nature of these at
tacks vas again made manifest soon af-
ter o'clock. The president had been
very quiet and seemingly comfortable.
Suddenly he complained of chilliness.
His body was wrapped in warm flannels,
and he was sponged with hot alcohol, but
the rigor could not be averted. He shiv-
cred, and every muscle IN his body was
rigid. The pulse went up to 40 and
even higher, but it was so thready and
feeble tint it was impossible to count the
beats after they had passed that figure.
There was great danger that he would
sink into a comatose state after the rigor
had passed, and every exertson was made
to induce reaction Hot hannels. were
applied to the feet, and a poultice of raw
onions cut fine ands stepped in alcohol
was placed upon his stomach. In adj
dition cooling lotions were applied to the
head and the arms and imbswere rubbed
Vigorously The result was that reac-
ton was established much sooner than
the physicians expected After fifteen
warmth in the feet, and at the same time
the rigidity of the muscles was observed
to be relaxing. 1t was evident that the
rigor was passing away in about half the
time which the first one had lasted That
one in spite of the most vigorous treat
ment had only yielded after half an
hour.
The vitality of the president once more
astonished the physicians. DIR. Agnew
said, when he came from the sick cham
Der, "The vitality of the president is
something more remarkable than l have
ever met with IN all my practice" This
was said to Mrs Garfield and Private
Secretary Brown. The doctor added that
if it was not for this wonderful evidence
of constitutional strength he should feel
as though it were folly to cherish any
hope. 81 .t.-.
After the. rigor had passed the presi-
dent fell asleep, and although his pulse
was still beating at 120 yet his tempera-
ture had not decreased more than tenth
of degree or so below the normal point.
He awoke in about twenty minutes and
said to DR.. Bliss, doctor, l feel very
comfortable, but | also feel dreadfully
weak. l wish you would give me the
hand glass and let me look at myself''
Gen. Swain said: ''Oh, no. Don't do
that, general. See if you cannot get some
sleep'
81 want to see myself" the president
replied
Mrs Garfield then gave him the hand
glass. He held it in a position which
enabled him to see his face Mrs Gar
field, Dr. Bliss, DR.. Agnew, Gen. Swain,
and DR.. Boynton stood around the bed,
saying not word, but looking at the
president. He studied the reflection of
his own features At length he YEARLY
let the glass fall upon the counterpart,
and, with a sigh, said to Mrs. Garfield:
"Crete, l do not see how it is that man
who looks as we'll as do should be so
dreadfully weak
In a moment or two he asked for his
daughter Mollie. They told him that she
would come to see him later in the day.
He SAID, however, that he wanted to see
her at once. Thereupon Don Rockwell
went to the beach, where Miss Mollie was
sitting with Miss Rockwell, and told her
that her father wanted to see her. When
the child went into the room she kissed
her father, and told him that she was
glad to see that he was looking so much
better. He said, S'YQu think do look
better, 1Iollie?' She said, 81 do, papa"
and then she took a chair and sat near
the foot of the bed. A moment or two
after DR.. Boynton noticed that she was
swaying in the chair. He stepped up to
her, but before he could reach her she had
fallen over in a dead faint. In
falling, her face struck against the
bed post, and when they raised her
from the floor she was not only uncon-
scious but also bleeding from the contu-
sion she had received. They carried her
out where she could get the fresh breeze
from the ocean, and after restoratives
were applied she speedily recovered The
room was close, the windows were closed,
and Miss Mollie has not been very well,
and all these causes combined with anXi-
dent they thought, had not noticed what
had happened to his petted child, for he
seemed to have sunk into the stupor
which had characterized his condition
much of the time. But when DR.. Boyn-
ton came back into the room he was as
astonished to hear the president say:
"Poor little Mollie!. She fell over like
log. What was the matter?" They as
sured the president that the fainting fit
was caused by the closeness of the room,
and that she was quite restored. He again
sank into stupor, or sleep, which lasted
until the noon examination. This stupor
was not healthy sleep. The president
frequently muttered and rolled and toss
ed his head upon the pillow.
DR.. .Agnew came from the cottage at
about II o'clock, and when he reached
the veranda of the Elberon he found a
gentleman with personal note from
Gen. Grant. The ex-president had been
to Elberon earlier in the morning at the
time of the rgor, and had been unable to
see any of the physicians. As he came
back across the lawn your correspondent
met him and asked him if he had heard
any news. He said that he had just seen
Mrs. Garfield for moment, she having
come down from the sick chamber to
speak to him, and that she had said that
Gen. Garfield had been seized with anoth-
er rigor, and that she was very much
afraid that the benefit which they had
observed for the first two or three DAYS
after his arrival was not permanent Gen
Grant added that the indications at the
cottage were such as to give very slight
hopes, and that he should not go away,
even to New Y ork, until he had heard
more favorable news.
After the noon examination there was