River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-09-01
BLISS,
BARNES,
WOODWARD,
REYBURN,
HAMILTON.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, }
WASHINGTON, Aug. "a.
1870 p. NJ.


Secretary Blaine. sent the following
dispatch at 10 o'clock tonight:
Minister Lo,oeH, London:
While the president has made no
gain to-day. his loss of ground has been
less in the judgment of his physicians,
than was feared last night. In this as
pect there is slight feeling of encour-
rgement, or at least ray of hope. The
adverse symptoms still manifest, and one
favorable indication of the swallowing
and digesting liquid food continues .
Two or three times during the day he
has asked for nourishment. He has
spoken intelIigently and voluntarily,
and throughout TIE day his mind has
been less affected than yesterday. The
expected relief to the parotid swelling
from discharge through the ear has not
been realized. The situation is one of
great gravity and danger.
(Signed) BLAINE, Secretary.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, Aug. 26.-Dr.
Boynton said, this evening, to a report
er of the associated press, that he
thought there had been a very slight
improvement in the presidents condi-
ton.
The presidents general condition
since 4 o'clock: Up to that hour" he
said, :" think he had gradually failed !;
his pulse ran up early in the afternoon
as high as 1873. and remained at 1876
for considerable time. | thought
once he could hardly live through the
night; about four o'clock, however, he
rallied slightly, and since that time has
fully held his own. In fact, | think
his general condition now trife bet
ter"
'Have indications of swelling or sup
puration been apparent any where ex-
cept in the wound and parotid gland"
"No."
"What was the character of the pus
discharged to-day by the wound ?"
SIT looked about as it did last night -
"Was it as healthy looking last night
as before that timer"
"No, not quite. 1t was less in guam
tity and it had slightly watery ap-
pearance."
'"To what was that attributable ?"
Probably to the Impoverished con-
dition of the patients blood"
''Do you think there is anything in
this changed character of the pus dis
charged by the wound to cause addi-
tional alarm ?"
mo, it only shows the weak and de-
pleted condition of the patients body.
1t is evidence of hamilton"
"What are the symptoms tonight
which you regard as more favorable p
"Well, the character of his pulse is
little better for one thing, and there
seems also to be some improvement in
his mental condition. He has been
brighter since o'clock than he has
been before that time. But, of course,
this change for the better, if it can be
so called, is very slight"
VERY BAD.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26.-After the
short rally of this forenoon; came the
midway bulletin. II was bad, very
bad, it showed a weakening in the
whole system of the patient, that he
was worse than at the same hour yes
terday; and was admitted by the ply
sicians, that the change for the worse,
afternoon wore on. Shortly
before 3 three o'clock the sleepi-
ness increased, and the president
appeared in comatose condition; and
that such a condition was an evidenc e
of we'll developed blood poisoning,
which he undoubtedly has. His pulse
ran up to 1873, with corresponding in
crease of temperature. Then followed
the administration of stimulants to I'M
do the sleepiness. Whiskey to the
amount of five drachms, at intervals,
and the yolk of an egg with peptonized
milk, was administered by the enema
Ia. That was the second change. The
administration of stimulants had its eff
feet upon the pulse; it went down, but
the sleepiness continued, and despite
the stimulants, he was unconscious in
slumber for an unusually long period.
During the afternoon, with the sub
sidence of the pulse, the doctors an
nounce more favorable conditi On, and
the $50 bulletin, as DR.. Hamilton ex-
pressed it, showed shade of improve
ment. That marked the third change
up to ten o'clock tonight. The great
est danger now is that the president
cannot be given sufficient strength to
carry him along, SO that the
more fatal conditions of blood
poisoning may be warded off.
He is weak and his blood is SO inn
poverished that it seems almost inn
possible to successfully overcome these
dangerous complications which have
followed each other almost faster and
faster. Later than the dispatches of
last night, contained information of
the burrowing abscess which broke in
side, and pus was discharged through
the ear. All efforts to control the alb
scess seemed to avail nothing. The
break inside was admitted to be most
dangerous sign; one of physicians
said before it occurred, that
if such contingency should
arise he did not think the presi-
dent could not survive. Again last
night the president became anxious
and worried on the subject of being re-
moved. Mrs. Edison was with him.
The president said:
"Where is Bliss ?"
"In the next room," was the reply.
With an impatient movement the
president said:
eco and tell him to come here. Tell
him want to removed and put in
my own Led. l " t stay here any
longer"
After considerable trouble Mrs. Ed
son quieted him, and he went to sleep
in few minutes.
1t will be remembered that when DR..
Hamilton opened the gland the other
day. he did it to give an outlet for the
accumulated matter, fearing that it
might seek an outlet elsewhere and
possibly go through the ear. The
swelling of the gland has not gone down
perceptibly.
Attorney General McVesgh and
Postmaster General James have most
widely diverged in their views for the
past three weeks. The postmaster gen
eral has kept up hopes, the attorney
general has been otherwise. To-day,
these two gentlemen came nearer be-
ing 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. aud being more acquainted
with the other feature of the case, sum-
marizes in saying. THE situation is
very critical" Postmaster General
James, after talking with the surgeons,
puts the diagnosis of his opinion in the