The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-09-23

There has been much said concerning the
Surgical treatment of the President. There,
will be more, now that he is dead. Much
that has been incomprehensible will proba-s
IDLY be cleared up by the explanations now
possible, and facts disclosed which while lifei
lasted 1t would have been unprofessional to-
Idivulge. There is much distrust TO cissi-ss
pate. The official bulletins were for long,
itme uavaryingly favorable, and when 1t be-
Icame evident the President had been stead.
fly growing worse, 1t was stated these bulle-S
{tins were submitted to the President andL
Iwere designed to cheer him. This, to sayl
the least, was questionable expedient. The
fact of blood poison, now known to have ex-
sted for several weeks, was denied emphat-!
ideally long after it possessed his system, and
was at last reluctantly admitted under tech
uical phraseology, which had to be trans
lated even to professionals. Why was this II
Why were Drs. Hammond and Wales, theI
most eminent authorities on gun shot
wounds, excluded from even consultation n
4 In this case IL seems 1t would have been al
proper, and perhaps saving courtesy, tol
= have invited expression from not only the
most eminent surgeons of this, but other
countries. This was done in the case of
3Garibaldi, and DIR. Nelliton, out of eighteen'
surgeons, alone rightly diagnosed the case,
N and demonstrated IL by surgery and success.
4 lin the case Of the Presidents physicians,
! there appeared rather disposition to ex-
clude and denounce any suggestions eman-
tating beyond their circle. Why, above all
5thlngs, was no effort made TO locate and re-
move the ball, as would have been instantly
done In the case of almost any other man inI
million? Except the ball lodged In the
belly of a muscle, 1t would not likely encyst,
and blood poisoning and permanent disabil-
lily, If not death, was almost inevitable. If
III were possible to remove 1t, and no vital
point had been reached, recovery would have
begun In ten days, and the President would
now be convalescent. Unless there was de-
liberate conclusion that there was extreme
peril in removing the ball, it is incompre-
henslble why it was not attempted. The
bulletins stated the ball had been traced in
a diagonal course down, and across the body ,
I'm the direction of the groin or lower part of
the stomach, a distance of sixteen inches,
and was working its way down by the force
of grayitation. The catheters were so inserted
TO drain off the wound. The location was
defined within a couple of inches. We were
assured day after day that the President
would surely get well, and now, behold,
their own autopsy discloses the astounding
facts that the bullet lodged near the heart.
and that death was inevitable from the first.
There was q blunder somewhere, and the
president is dead. IL will be difficult 10
Econvince the profession and the people that
their theory and treatment were correct.
FThese things will be discussed; questions
will be asked and urged, and they are i'm
Bportant, not only rs relating to the Presi-
dents death, but IS relating TO the punish
'ment of the assassin. But 1t is still TO be
remembered that some able and eminent
men were OF the attending physicians, thai
every consideration would inspire them TO
do the best they knew, and 1t is easier TO find
fault with than to do.