The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-10-14
THE AUTOPSY.

Aeld. o...,..,
The October issue OF the An,erscan
Journal Of Medical Sciences contains the
following official report OF the autopsy
Of President Garfield, prepared Dy the
in charge:
RECORD OF THE POsT-MoRTEN E1-
ANIMATION OF the body OF Presiaent y: a.
death, at Francklyn Cottage. ElbeIon, NJ
present and assisting. Dr: ". BLISS ss.s Sur
burn. Dr.. Frank II. Hamilton. DR.. o; Hayes
Agnew. Dr. Audrey H. Smith n;.s Q. E,eeaUn
9eon b. s. Lamb of the Army Medical Mu'
scum of WASHINGTON, d. c.:
Before commencing the examination q con-
sultation was held BY these physicians IN
room adjoining that in which the oody iay'
and It was unanimously agreed that the as
section should be made by DR.. Lamb, and that |
Surgeon Woodward should record the ooserva- |
lions made It was further Unanimously
agreed that the Uranium should not oe openeo'
Surgeon Woodward then proposed that the
examination should be conducted as Iolows'
That the body should be viewed externauy'
and any morbid appearances existing re-
corded.
That the catheter should then be passed In
tn the wound. as was done during life, to WASH
It out Tor the purpose Of assisting to hno the
position of the bullet.
That a long incision should next be made
from the superior extremity OF the sternum
to the pubs, and this crossed by trans'erso
one just below the umbilicus.
That the abdominal Zap thus made should
then be turned back and the ABDOMINAL WIS.,
cera examined.
That. after the abdominal cavity was opened.
the position of the bullet should Do ascer
tanned, If possible, before making any furtner
incision, and that, finally, the thoracic viscera
should be examined.
This order of procedure was Unanimously
agreed to.
The examination was then proceeded with,
and the following external appearances were
observed:
The body was considerably emaciated, but
| the face was much less wasted than the limbs
| A preservative fluid had been injected by the
embalmer few hours before into the LETT
| femor al artery. The pipes used for this pur'
pose were still in position. The interior sur
| face of the body presented no abnormal ap-
pearances, and there was no ecchymosls, or
| other discoloration of any part OF the aDoo'
men. Just below the right ear, and little be-
| hind It. there was an oval liberated opening,
| about half an inch in diameter, from which
| some sanious pus was escaping, but no tune
| faction could be observed in the parOtld re-
zion. A considerable number OF purpura-hke
| spots we're scattered thickly over the left
scapula, and thence forward as far as the
axilla They ranged from one-eightn 70
one.fourth of an inch in diameter were
slightly elevated and purpuraceous on
| were
continent in groups of two to four or more
similar but much less abundant eruption wa:
observed sparsely scattered over the CORES
pouding region on the right side. An oval
excavated ulcer, about an inch long, the re
suit of a small carbuncle, was seated over thu
| spinous process of the tenth dorsal VerteDra
Over the sacum there were four small bed
sores, the largest about half an inch in diane
ter A few acne pustules and NUMBER
irregular spots of post-mortem hypostatic con
gestion were scattered over the shoulders
back, and buttocks. The interior part OF tn
, scrotum was much discolored by hypostan
congestion. A group Of hemorrhoidal tn
mors, rather larger than wal nut, protrude
} from the anus. The depressed clcd
! trix of the wound made by tn
pistol bullet was recognized over the tent
{ intercostal space, three and half inches t
| right of the vertebral spine. deep Inca
fncision made in part by the operation OF Jul
"A. and extended by that of August 81 occu
| MED a position closely corresponding to tn
D upper border of the right twelfth rib. 1t CON
menced posteriorly about two inches from tn
yertebral spine and extended forward a littl
. more than three inches At the interior e.
o tremity Of this incision there was deel
nearly square. abraded surface. about an inc
e across, A well-oied. flexible catheter, fou
teen inches long, was then passed into tn
wound. as had been done to wash 1t out du
ing life. More resistance was at first e4coul
tered than had usually been the case, b,
8 after several trials the catheter entered wit
!. out any violence to the full length. 1t WI
then left in position, and the body dispose
supinely for the examination of the viscera.
. The Uranium was not opened. A long in(
q sion was made from the superior extremity
ID the sternum to the pubs, followed by tran
b. verse incision crossing the abdomen just b
low the umbilicus. The four flaps thus form
were turned back and the abdominal visce
~ exposed. The simultaneous adipose tiss'
"a divided by the incisions was little more tn
Id one eighth of an inch thick over the thora
e, but was thicker over the abdomen, bel
r. about a quarter of an inch along the lin
IN alba and as much as half an inch thick iowa
\. the outer extremity of the transverse incfsie
On Inspection OI tue hOuoAAiuoA SAoCS
situs. the transverse colon was observed to
n little above the line of the umbilicus.
n. was firmly adherent to the anterior edge
E. the liver The greater omentum covered I
nh intestines pretty thoroughly. from the tral
= verse colon almost to the pelvis. 1t was 81
~ quite fat and very much blackened by veno
e.' congestion. On both sides its lateral margi
Ne were adherent to the abdominal parieti
Ice opposite the eleventh and twelfth ribs, on
,k, left side, the adhesions we're numerous, FIR
ed well-organized and, probably, d.
he IA footnote here says: ''These adhesit
nd and the firm ones on the right side. as well
those of the spleen, possible date back to
49, attack of chronic dysentery, from which
ITO patient is said to have suffered during
ace Civil War. On the right side there were 1
ley similar adhesions and q number OF m
be delicate and probably recent ones."]
,ut mass of black, coagulated blood cove
m. and concealed the spleen and the left mar
,at of the greater omentum. On raising
omcntum it was found that this blood m
extended through the left lumbar and II
CT regions. and dropped down into the pelvis
cad which there was some clothed blood
ote rather more than a pint of bloody fluid.
no "a foot note here says: "A large part OF