Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-11-29

wound or injury. Were these rules
Needed in the present instance
Third-Ths surgeons In attendance
and in consultation in the case are
charged with certain nealects and mis-.
takes. BY reason OF which the Presidents
died. While not prepared TO assef,, IN
the light Of oil the facts ns reveaieo W
the post norton examination tnat tois
CHARGE can be sustained in Its entirety.
7 believe that the following alleged cir.
cumstances are true. II they are. then.
In 80 far o. they are contrary 10 sound
surgery were the chances Of President
Garf.ld's recovery lessened That the
President lay for at least ten hours be-
fore any exploration whatever was made
OF the wound, other than the hurried
examination made ct the railway station.
That during all this time NO serious at
tempt was made to arrest the heuor-
image, which caused such alarming
weakness.
That no proper attempt was made to
ascertain the presence Of extranecus
matters In the track Of the bullet, the
degree Of fracture Of the ribs, or to ad-
Just the fragments; and that, in fact.
the fracture Of the twelfth rib was not
discovered till after death.
That Il was not I'LL after the Gath Of
July-twsnty.ons days after the recep-
ton OF the injury-when. In conss.
quencs Of the occurrence OF severe CON-
stitutional symptoms indicating the
existence Of pymmis, an incision was
made for the narrowing pus; that then
the eleventh rib Was found to DO frac-
tured In two places. and several pieces
Of bone and fragments Of clothing. which
had been driven into the track OF the
wound, were removed.
That the failure to discover the real
track OF the ball, and to treat the frac-
tured ribs, led to the burrewing OF pus
in the right inguinal region and the Tor.
nation OF . sinus. which, during life,
was supposed to have been made BY the
bullet.
That the error thus committed was
one Of cardinal importance, for had the
real character Of the passage been ascer-
tanned, not only would Its progress have
been stopped at once by appropriate
msasures-position. bandages, COM
prssses-but means would have been
adopted for causing Il to heal. Mis-.
taken rs IL was for the track OF the ball
II was left opens large amount Of pus
was thus formed, the patient unneoessa-
rily weakened. and the danger OF pya.
mia immensely increased. That there
il nothing IN the revelations OF the post
mortem examination to show that the
pymnio condition which evidently ex-
lated had any other source than this
sinus. which was supposed to be the
track Of the ball.
That pyenia existed from the Esd or
Gath Of July. and that from the Esd Of
July on, there was scarcely q hope Of
the Presidents recovery. not, however.
from the alleged necessarily mortal
character Of the wound. but from the
supervention Of py@nia, or septic@mia.
IL the term be preferred. In q patient
already enfeebled to an extreme degree
BY insufficient food and otherwise bad
hygiesic conditions.
And finally, to sum up the various
conclusions, 1t Is denied that the wound
was necessarily o mortal one; II Ia denied
that the science and art OF surgery are
In such ON imperfect state OF develop
ment a. to afford no certain rules LOT
the treatment Of o case like that OF the
President; and II Ia asserted that during
the frat iorty-eight hours the surgical
practice was not In accordance with
well. defined and acknowledged surgical
precspts, and that hence the President
did not have ell the advantages OF treat
ment which modern surgery Ii capable
Of affording.
Doctor Ashurst gives an slaboratsly
written opinion. He refers to the So
rious mistake made in the frat diaguo'
sis Of the case. in suppesins the ball to
have taken . downward and forward
course toward the right grsin, yet con-
fesses that he does not see very vel
how the mistake could have beer
avoided. owing to the indications and
intervening obstacles. he comedies the
blood poisoning. but prefers to call II
septicamia instead OF pyomia. which
after all amounts to the same thing as
far as the result IL concerned In the case.
He thinks II would not have been safe to
have attempted the removal Of the ball.
and, in fact. that NO style Of probe in
use could have detected is course and
reached Il; that it, removal was not neo'
sssary, for 1t had become completely On.
cysted, 30 that Il could do no further
harm, and the wound was healed near It,
He thinks. however. that the President
did not receive proper and sufficient
nourishmsnt. and that the great and
strong vitality OF the man was shown
in the fact that hs lived so long with SC
little for life to bs sustained upon. Al
to whether the wound was fatal, hs has
q great many lie and butts. and finally
comes 10 the conclusion that hs cannot
see how the treatment Of the case could
DO altered to the advantage Of tho pa
tent.
Doctor Sims illustrates his opinion
with q couple Of diagrams showing three
Of the spinal vertebre and the injury
done by the fatal bullet; also Q third dia.
gram. showing the course OF the bullet.
In regard to the pus deposits. and other
manifestations Of pyemis. he says:
II the President had lived . month
longer, he would certainly have had
similar deposits 10 distant and various
parts Of his body. His natural strength
| OF constitution Vas shown by its power
Of resistance to this gradual but univsr.
sal blood poisoning. But for the injury
to the spine. he would have recovered.
and / must here repeat that with this in.
| Jury Il il Q marvel that be lived so long.
View the case % We may. he had mol
the least chance for recovery under any