The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-11-24
WHO KILLED THE PRESIDENT,

WHO KILLED THE President
In the unspoken speech which Gui'
teau delivered TO the country after be
was refused the privilege Of delivering
1t to the court he says: ''It is absurd
to say I killed President Garfield, be.
cause he died Of malpractice" Ex-Sur-
geon-General Hammond contributes q
paper to the December number Of the
North American Reviep taking practic-
ally the same ground. Guiteau further
claims in his own behalf that be il in
sane. DIR. Hammond does not add a
similar qualification to his statement.
Three other surgeons present their
views in this magazine on the same
question, but fail to concur in DIR.
Hnmmond's conclusions. As Guiteau
is now on trial for his life. charged with
the murder OF President Garfield, an
unsolicited expert opinion that the re-
sponsibility lies more with the presi-
dents doctors than with his assassin
would seem to be exceedingly ill-timed
aud in very questionable taste. DR..
Hammond refused to testify on the
question of malpractice in q place
where he would be under the sanction
of an oath and subjected to the whole
some process of cross-examination. He
prefers to give in his own way and at a
time when it may easily affect the opin-
ion of the jury il it should fall into the
hands Of any one of them. and increase
the confidence, assurance and offensive
ness Of Guiteau, who will undoubtedly
be among the first to read it.
The sum Of DR.. Hammond's eonclus-
ions is First,t the late presidents wound
was not necessarily a mortal one; Sec
ond, the science and art Of surgery are
not in such an imperfect state of de-
velopment but that there are certain
rules for the treatment Of a such . case
as the q under consideration. Third,
during the first forty-eight hours the
surgical practice was not in accordance
with well defined and acknowledged
surgical precepts. Fourth. the presl-
dent did not have all the advantages
of treatment which mote n surgery is
capable Of affording. DR.. John As.
hurst, who follows DR.. Hammond in
the discussion. concludes that the
treatment could not have been altered
in any way to the advantage Of the il
lustrious patient; nothing was lone
that should have been omitted, and no.
thing was left undone that could pos
sibly have been Of benefit. DIR. j.
Marion Sims thinks that on account Of
the wound Of the vertebre President
Garfield had not the least chance Of
recovery under any circumstances OF
any treatment. DR.. John T. Hodges
reviews the case from the beginning,
and finds no reason for adverse criti-
cism on any part Of the management. If
1t had been possible for the president to
live, he thinks he would have been a
permanently deformed invalid, but no.
thing was done either at the examin-
alton or in the treatment which tended
to hasten death.
And now, If Guiteau's malpractice
plea a be suppressed, let us hope Pre-
sident Garfield's post-mortem examin-
alton Is ended. The country is sick of
DR.. Hammond's scolding on the sub
ject, and would take 1t kindly Of him If
he would turn his attention to some
thing else. He has had his say, and
said it in print. And now let him allow
poor Garfeld's body to rest at last
quietly in its grave.