The Portland daily press., 1881-08-22
CAUSE FOR ALARM
If To-day Does not Bring Favorable
Change.


Since the issuance of the evening bulletin
the scenes at the Executive Mansion and on
the streets have been materially changed. the
announcement of the Presidents having vom-
tied twice this afternoon creating great un-
easinesS throughout the city, and crowds gath
cred around the bulletin boards in an excited
manner At the Executive Mansion there
was a noticeable feeling of apprehension, but
the statements of the attending surgeons to the
effect that the vomiting was not occasioned by
any gastric disturbance of the stomach have
been accepted as less serious than if that organ
had refused to perform its functions. This is
the explanation of the vomiting given by Dr.
Bliss:-lt appears contrary to the impression
which prevailed up to o'clock that there was
vomiting during the early afternoon shortly
after 1 o'clock. At that time the President
experienced considerable difficulty with
phleghm which secreted in his throat, and his
exertion to raise it excited his stomach to such
an extent that vomiting ensued. This was
some time after the last potion of nourish-
ment had been naturally administered, SO that
it was caused by phleghm in the throat is very
generally accepted.
DR.. Boynton, in conversation this evening,
stated that the President has taken no nour-
ishment since the first vomiting. He saws fur
Their that the Presidents stomach is certainly
weaker to-day than yesterday, and while the
case looks rather discouraging tc night he
hopes, and has no reason to believe, that the
morning will bring improvement eff it does
not" the doctor sid, 81 shall feel very much
discouraged and extremely anxious"
Do you still think, doctor, the President has
septic9mia?
Yes; in my opinion he has been under the
influence of septicRmia for the past ten days.
1 think tomorrow will bring favorable
change however. If it does not there will be
cause for alarm.
After the vomiting occurred the President
asked Dr. Boynton, having heard the attend
ing surgeons consulting in monotones, what he
thought of his condition. The Doctor made
perfectly satisfied. Soon after this he fell
asleep.
DR.. Reyburn, during the course of an inter-
view at a late hour tonight, Sid the patient
had taxed water this evening and retained it.
He did not think the infamed gland was any
more serious t. night than it had been and he
attributed the vomiting to the secretion of
phlegm in the back part of the throat. So long
as there is no gastric disturbance in the stom-
ach, the Doctor added, there is nothing to oc-
casion alarm. He admitted they were ex-
tremely anxious this afternoon when the vom-
iting occurred, fearing as they did at first that
the stomach had again rebelled. The doctor
was asked if the President had septicaemia,
which question he did not answer directly but
said it might be possible inasmuch as all pa
tients suffering from a serious wound such as
the President had received or low fevers were
more or less liable to be affected by Septica-
emia. The Doctor said the patient was still
sleeping. His pulse remains at about 10S.
D On the whole to-day has not been considered
as favorable day for the patient as yester-
day. The Mansion has been closed for the
night and everything at this hour is perfectly
quiet.
DR.. Reyburn said at a late hour tc night that
possibly an effort would be made in the morn
ing to administer nourishment through the
stomach. The enemata since the second
vomiting occurred have been increased in
quantity and two have been administered. At
this hour (midnight) the attendants in the sick
room cannot be communicated with, but the
indications are that the President is resting
quietly. The physicians on duty tonight
are Drs. Bliss and Reyburn, and members OF
the Presidents household have retired for the
night.