Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-08-28
Or. Hammond's Criticism.

In the New York Herald of Aus
gust Goth appears an interview
with DR.. William A. Hammond,
the eminent surgeon, in relation to
the treatment of the case and the
Presidents surgical attendants,
from which we make the following
extracts:
In all my statements upon the
treatment of the President never
said one word dlsapproviDgly of
either DR.. Hamilton or DR.. Agnew.
I regard them as first.clsss men,
and have the utmost respect for
them socially and profes sionally,
and believe they are as competent
to manage the case IA anybody.
The grievous errors were commit
ted before they came into the case.
Tbs FIRST great error was a neglect
to make II thorough examination
of the wound. There was neglect
to remove the pieces OF cloth and
broken bone, neglect to discover
that any ribs were broken, and
neglect to find the ball and remove
it if possible. They found wound
opposite the Presidents liver and
assumed that the ball had gone
through the liver and into his peri
tonital cavity. Acting on that as
sumption, they announced that the
President had one chance In hun
drsd Of living, and consequently
made no thorough exploration. If
the wound had been in his liver
and the bullet in his peritoDital
cavity their treatment would have
been all right. AS 1t was, they
| went by guesswofk, AS shown by
the fact that the bullet did not
touch the liver and the peritonital
cavity was uDiDjured. These were
mistakes; but / never said that
they did them knowingly. They
were mistakes from proper mo-
tives, bat nevertheless mistakes.
"Aud now as regards the present
condition Of the President and his
treatment, I wish to say, as l have
said before over my own signature,
that l believe since Drs. Hamilton
and Agnew have been In attends
ance on the case, the treatment mas
generally been judiclous, and the
exceptions to this have occurred
during their absence. l believe
the treatment now is judicious, and
has been so except during the first
forty-eIght hours of the treatment.
L have never said the Presiuent
was certain to die, and L do not be.
lieve now. when he is at his very
worst that he is certain to die. |
The attending surgeons during the
first twenty-four hours, gave him |
one chance in a hundred of recov-
ering. / have never put his |
chances rs low as that, and do not |
think they are rs low AS that now,
and 1 regard them as worse than
they ever have been; but l think 1t |
is an insult to the medical profess
sion and to the people of the Unit.
ed States for DR.. Bliss to reply
when asked if the Inflammation of
the parotid gland had any relation
to pyemia, to reply, None what
ever; II has no more relation to
pyse mia than II his nose was to
b eed. Thus far not the first symp-
tom OF py@mia has made itself ap-
parent. L think he has passed all
danger of py@mia.' Such state.
ments cannot but make those who
know better express the opinions
they entertain. Now, it Is just as
possible for surgeon in New York
to tell what constitutes py@mia as
for any surgeon in Washington to
do it. 1 have talked with a great
many physicians in this city on
the subject, and l have not met
a single one but believes that the
President has the py yemia. I have
been abused personally by DR..
Bliss end his adherents, and /
have submitted to it pretty quietly
up to this time, but l am not dis.
posed to to do 80 much longer. l
have felt strongly in this matter
because General Garfield, before he
was made President, showed him.
self to be my friend, and believe In
sticking to friend. l have felt
that he was not properly treated In
the first instance. 1 have not hes
itated to say SO, and 1 will not hes
itate to say so till l get satisfactory
evidence to the contrary. Then /
will take it all back, and not TIL
then, aud confess that 1 was mis-.
tRkan