New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-23
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 90 1881.


President. 1t also decided to postpone the date
for opening the fair fro September 26 until Oc-
tober 8. The receipts Friday night, October7
will be contributed to the Garfield fund. +,
Mavor Fielder of Newark has issued proclama-
ton requesting that the residents refrain from their
usual vocations and that all places of business be
closed Monday. so that all can partci ate in the
proposed demonstration on that day. The offices
of the City Government ordered closed and the
bells will be rung The General Committee of Ar
rangements met yesterday aud arranged for their
he religious services in the churches in the after
noon procession eScortng n Catafalque n in the
The Hudson County Bar held an adjourned meet
ing yesterday morning in Jersey City TO take action
| relative to the death of President Garfield. The
meeting was held in the Circuit Court Room. Judge
knapp having adjourned the court to permit the
meeting to he held. Gilbert Collins presided and
Allan l.. McDermott acted as secretary. The Com
mttee on Resolutions which consisted of Leon All
bett, eX-Governor Bedle ex-Judge Hoffman, ex-At-
Jams submitted appropriate resolutions which were
adopted Resolutions we're adopted by the Jersey
City Board OF Finance and the Lincoln Club We'd
nesday night.
At Paterson the decorations buildings are elab
crate and in some instances costly. The flags the
aud there is great manifestation of sorrow Ont
of respect t." the memy of the late President the
primary meetings announced by the County Com
nittee to be held on Monday night were postponed
until Tuesday evening. a meeting of the SiXt
Association
IN regard to the death of the President were
adopted
The Ministers Association of Paterson also held
meeting IL was decided to hold public meeting
thy
Mayor Hartford, of Orange chairman of COM
Of the Presidents death has decided to call together
at nss Hall Monday G When hss Sem &
nghuysen will deliver address. The bells of the
churches will be tOlled at the hour of burial
The of Island sri N
draping their houses with EN- benls of mourning. The
black and white drap.eries have been suspended
from all the public buildings, including the school
houses. The solemn decorations are also to be seen
on most of the churches. Special memorial services
Monday. On that day the public buildings, JUS
cess conrts and places OF business in the different
The Elizabeth IN j. Common Council met last
evening in special session and appointed committee
to arrange for memorial service on Monday.
WHY THE WOUND PROVED FATAL.
A SURGEONS INQUIRY INTO FACTS REVEALED BY
THE AUTOPSY OF THE PREsIDENT-wIIY THE
COURSE OF TREATMENT PURSUED WAS A FAIL
URE.
TO me EditOr OF The Tribune.
SIR: With a knowledge of the new facts re-
vealed by post-mortem examination of the body
of the President added to those already known we
may, from surgical point of view, inquire what
may have been their influence upon the treatment
of the case and Its issue.
The injury was compound fracture of the
eleventh rib. and also of the first lumbar vertebra.
with lodgment of the bullet unmpcrtant soft
tissues. The long suppurating tract reach
ing internally from tho bullct-wound to
the groin, tie newly discovered abscess
near the liver, and other morbid appear
ances, including tho hemorrhage that was the i'm
mediate cause of death. the or less remote
effects of the injury.
Within few years there has been growing bold
ness in the performance of operations, and in the
surgical interference with wounds. This is based
upon the confidence of the through the of
antiseptics. carbolic acid etc. to prevent the de-
composition i'll the discharge of a wound.
which is the frequent cause of n train of
evils. From the point Of view of believer
in the antiseptic method. ncison in the
abdomen for tie discovery and extraction of the
bullet would have been justiGable and compare
lively harmless procedure; but, shown by the
post mortcm examination, superiluous one, for the
encysed bullet had ceased to be source of irrita-
ton.
d sbelievers in the antseptic method would have
Shrunk from adding injury TO the one already
inflicted. Tho bullet, having become encysted in
its unknown location. was harmless, and did not
call for surgical interference looking to its exrac-
ton. The treatment of the patient then resolved
itself into that of o compound fracture of the rib
and the vertebra. The believers III the antiseptic
of the world would probably hold that a strictly
defined line of procedure should have been adopted
from the start The sinfect en- of the wound and
provision for adequate drainage would have npcess
tatcd ITS argement and more thorough exploration
The decomposition of the discharge thevEwould ar
gue, could have been prevented and the dangers of
poisoning OF tho blood reduced to minimum or
wholly averted Dlscarding the uniform procedu re
of treatment practiSed by followers of the anti
septic or 1t ~ called, Listers method the treat
ment Of he compound fractures became largely a
i question OF individual Judgment and skill The
train of septic accidents" to which TIA. ilustrous
sufferer sJccaIabed and which according to the be-
lief Of those who practice the ant septic m ,thod
but the Inevitable consequences of conditions
which could according 10 this school have been
foreseen and guarded against.
In the plan of treatment not only should the
splendid endurance Of the patient, his cain and
cheerful disposition, have been accurately esti-
] of tho wound should have bee forecast Had i'll
been possible to do this exactly the surgeons
might not have been taken by surprise by the first
cliils, and .Leir attention might not have been
cal cd to local conditiOnan ahscess-by its effect
on tie constitution. The discovery of the Grs col
spared the patien shock that seriously sapped his
vitality. Even the collection itself and the forma-
ton OF an extensive cavity communicating with the
wound might perhaps, have been prevented by Al
properly planned enlargement of the wound at the
outset a modification of the treatment IN these
the constitution, AID the extensive burrow-
ing of thc pus might perhaps have had an impor.
tant influence the final ISSUE tor the occurrence
ut scptcinmia, and the formation of metastaic alb
scesses wero favored by every influence that de-
pressed the vitality of the system The prevention
mt ch DIN f,n