The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-08-27

VIC Pu1OS CA1o LuO1ll1uS Wtto lCSo IL
quent, and that the parotid swell
ling had broken into the right ear
and was discharging through that
Orifice. The patients mind was
clearer and he cOnVerSed nationally
with the surgeons about the cOndi-
ton of the inflamed gland. He par
took of food, which seemed to be
grateful to him and his general con-
dition appeared to be a little i'm
proved. The doctor expressed him
self as hopeful that the swollen
gland would be relieved by the dis
charge through the ear, and that he
would pull through thereby without
much change.
Executive Mansion, 10.40 am
Secretary KirkwoOd came out of
the cabinet room a few moments
since, and in reply to a question
asked by the reporter of the Asso-
ciated press gave the following
statement of the Presidents case as
he understood it this am: l have
never thought, he said, until last
night that the President would die;
but the information we received
from the surgeons late in the even
ing was of such character as to
leave very little room for hope. The
danger which then seemed most i'm
minent was the danger Of the alb
sorption of unhealthy pus from the
swollen parotid gland. The mental
disturbance and the increased pulse
seemed to indicate that this process
of absorption had already begun
and that it was poisoning the brood
and this was acting upon the brain
and heart. Taking up small egg
shaped piece of sponge which lay
on the reporters table hecontinued:
AS understand the case from what
the surgeons told me, the PreSl-
dents right parotid gland is in some
respects like this sponge. Every
where through it there are little
cells or pockets, in each OF which
there is an accumulation OF puS.
The incision which was made the
dav before yesterday pierced one OF
these pockets and released the pus
which that particular one contained,
but that did not drain the others,
and in fact the others could not be
effectually drained at this stage of
suppuration by a single incislon
made anywhere. The fear last night
was that the pus retained in these
small cavities would become I'M
healthy. and, as l before said, result
in acute blood-poisoning. The doc
tors told us. however, last night.
Just before we went home, that
they had not given up the hope of a
favorable change during the night,
end the surgeons think this morning
that there has been such a slight
change for the better as DR.. Bliss
hoped for. The breaking Of the
suppurating gland into the cavity OF
the ear will, it is thought, afford
more relief than could be given in
any other way, and therefore re-
garded it as a favorable symptom
The discharge through that channel
seems to be free and the puS is thus
far of healthful character, and the
patients mind this morning is
clearer than late last night, showing
that there has been no blood
poisoning of consequence from the
gland as yet. Taking everything
into consideration l think there is
reason this morning for little more
hope.
Executive Mansion, 4 p.m.-Dr
Reyburn reports at 4 pm. that the
condition of the President continues
extremely critical. There has been
no marked change for the worse
since noon, bat the pulse is rather
higher and feebler. His vitality
seems very low. There is no appre-
hension OF immediate death, but
there Is on the other hand nothing
as yet to strengthen the faint hope
of a rally which the surgeons still
entertain.
LINCOLN'S OPINION.
Secretary Lincoln, upon coming
out Of the cabinet room, this morn