Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-12-01
Autopsy Of President Garfield.
STATEMENT or DR.. LAMB in REsFoSsE TO
CRiTIcIsES
WAsnisorox, Nov. q. 1851.

WAsniSerox, Nov. -. 1881.
Acting Assistant Surgeon Lamb, who
performed the autopsy upon the body
of the late President, furnishes the fol.
lowing:
There prevails to some extent an i'm.
preston that the examination OF the
body Of the late President Garfield was
a careless and haphazard one, without
order or method, and that the bullet
was found only by accident. This i'm.
preston IL entirely incorrect. The or.
der Of examination vas prearranged in
a consultation held for the purpose and
was carried out ~ far As the develop
meisss Of the autopsy permitted.
II - necessary TO ascertain the ex.
tent "a character Of the injury and, IL
possible, 10 obtain the missile. All
things considered the only way in which
these objects could be accomplished
was by fret opening the abdominal
cavity.
FINDING THE BULLET.
Much 80 has been said about the bul.
let being found in q basin, and the
statement has BEEN industriously circu.
lated By prejudiced parties. The facts
are - follows The search for the bul.
let We prosecuted carefully, systematic
ally and successfully, and The latter is
no small matter In view Of the fact that
In many poet moTtem examinations.
even after careful, labovious and per.
sistent search, the missile has not been
found. It vas fret sought for near the
groin, where 10 was expected By some
that IL would be found. Failing TO find
Il there the pus channel was then fol.
lowed up, but this procedure made IL
necessary 10 remove the oveFlying or.
eans. These removed parts we're tenn.
porarily placed in large china wash.
bowl until they could be examined in
the order prescribed in the preliminary
consultation. The pus channel led up
10 the fractured ribs and vertebre. The
position Of the opening of exit Of the
bullet from the latter indicated the
probability Of its further track being
In the hemorThsgic clot In the Tissues
removed. While the examination of
the vertebr@ Was being made one of The
surgeons assistiBE turned his attention
TO the parts removed and discovered
there the position of the bullet. There
was nothing at I'll Of che nature Of an
accident in the manner In which 10 was
found. 10 had formed for itself cyst
wall beneath the psncfeas. After com.
plcting the examination Of the YER.
tebre cut the cyst open and took the
bullet out Of II.
ssssxLxss cuTIcfsxs.
Il has been suggested By some that
after the removal Of the parss from the
body their relations could no longer be
recognized. This difficulty could only
occur 70 one who wss unfamiliar with
anatomy. No formal reply Re e. yet
been made 70 The many unjust and
often scnseiess criticisms which have
been % freely bestowed upon this at.
topsy. had expected that complete
exposition Of the points criticised would
hsvs been made IN the course Of the
testimony OF the medical witnesses.
But With one exception they we're af.
forded no opportunity, and the gentle
man excepted inadvertently omitted
some ef The particulars feIassd shove. 5.
| believe. therefore, that The public
should Do made aoquaintsd With the
facts IN order tbas II may neither snis
judes the surgeons nor suppose ahAs the
AUTOPSY was Incomplete OF improperly
conducted. D. 5. LaHs,
Assistant Surgeon.