Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-08-26

issuance OF the morning bulletin. The absence
OF all reference in the bulletin to the general
condition Of the President and to the parotid
swelling was at once noticed and commented
upon Dy those waiting for it. Attorney General
MacV eagh pronounces the situation extremely
critical, and when asked this morning how long
ne tnought this suspense would continue re-
piied: God only knows" Postmaster General
James and Secretary Hunt telegraphed to Thur
low Weed that
"a CLEAN OF HOPE AT 10 AM.
comes from the surgeons. His symptoms are
no worse. and improvement not impossible. -
DIR. Bliss came out of the surgeons room about
$50 this morning and telephoned to his wife
that the President was little better than last
night In reply to interrogations. he said that
the Presidents pulse this morning was less fire.
quent. and that the .parotid swelling had broken
into the right ear and was discharging through
that orifice The patients mind was clear. and
he conversed nationally with the surgeons about
the condition of the infamed gland. He partook
of food, which seemed to be grateful to him,
and his general condition appeared to be little
improved. The doctor expressed himself as
hopeful that the swollen gland would be relieved
by the discharge through the ear, and that he
would pull through the day without much
change.
1O:4O A. M.-THE BREAKING OF THE ABsCEss
GIVES THE PATIENT RELIEF.
Secretary Kirkwood came out of the Cabinet
room few moments since, and in reply to ques-
tions asked by the reporter Of the Associated
Press gave the following statement of the Presi-
dents case as he understood it this
morning. 81 have never thought
he said, ''until last night that the
President would die, but the information which
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 imminent 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 absorp-
tion had already begun and that it was poison
ing the blood, and thus acting upon the brain
and ana heart Taking up small egg.-shaped
piece OF sponge which lay on the reporters ta-
ole, the Secretary continued: ''As understand
the case from what the surgeons have told
me, the Presidents right parotid gland
is in some respects like this sponge everywhere
through it there are little cells or pockets, in
The incisiOn which was made day before yester-
day pierced one Of these pockets and released
the pus which that particular one contained,
but it did not drain the Others and, in fact.
the others could not be effectually drained at
this stage of the suppuratiOn by a single in
was that the pus retained in these small cavities
would become unhealthy, and as / before said.
result In acute blood poisoning. DR.. Bliss told us.
however, last night just before we went home
that he had not given up the hope of a favorable
change during the night and the surgeons think
this morning that there has been such slight
change for the better as Doctor Bliss hoped
1or. 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 it is therefore regarded as IA
vOrable symptom. The discharge through that
channel seems to be free the pus is thus far of a
healthy character, and the patients mind this
morning is clearer than last night, showing
that there has been no blood poisoning of con-
sequence from the gland as yet. Taking every
thing into consideration, think there is reason
THIS morning for little more hope.''
GLMMER OF HOPE.
Attorney General MacVeagh and Postmaster
General James have been most widely divergent
in their views for the past three weeks. The
Postmaster General has kept up hope and the
Attorney General has been the other way. To-
day these two gentlemen came nearer being
in coincidence with each other than
heretofore. They are, in fact, not very far apart
in their opinions. The Attorney General, after
being told by the physicians about the bursting
of the gland, and being made acquainted with
the other features of the case, summarizes in
saying: "The situation is very crti-
CAL" Postmaster General James. after talking
with the surgeons puts the diagnosis of his
opinion in the words: Improvement is not i'm
possible" The ground upon which the ray of
hope which at 12 o'clock has shed its light
around the White House has for the corner
stone of its foundation the free and natural SUP
puratiOn from the inflamed gland The relief
consequent upon the outflow of the matter
which had accumulated is not only perciptble
but very marked. There hangs the thread of
hope.
THE PATIENT BETTER AT NOON.
'The greater the discharge from the gland the
better it will be, is what comes from the phys-
clans. The discharge from the ear, induced by
the inward bursting of cell in the swollen
gland continues. There has also been and still
is a discharge from the incison made by Dr.
Hamilton the other day. Towards noon the APP
pearance of things at the White House was
was partially lifted. The reports from the sick
room gave the glad news that the President was
resting great deal easier, and that he was
much relieved. Upon these reports was founded
the more cheerful spirit that pervaded the house
1t is not so much any one symptom or mere de-
velOpment that causes anxiety now, as the COM
plicatiOn Of the many different ones which
seem to follow each other in an endless process
sion.
DIR. HAMILTON STILL HOPEFUL.
Dr. Hamilton says that the President is sbetter,
and that he still has hope for the patient
THE PRESIDENTS HOROSCOPE.
In times Of deep public anxiety, whatever
there is of superstition among the people comes
to the surface. The announcement that the
President demanded to be taken to his old home
at Mentor was regarded by the superstitious as
very bad sign, for there is vague notion
among them that such wishes always precede
death. After the President was shot, THE STAR
repubshed an extract from the horoscope of
Gen. Garfield. as published in March last by
" Rutl;el." At that time the prediction as to
the mode of death seemed to have no application
to the Presidents wound. but since the danger