Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-09-16
Blood Poisoning

LONG BRANCH, Sept 15.-The President
passed comfortable night, and Dr. Bliss said
if he did not make good progress last night he
is not competent to judge. The doctor also
said there was no foundation for the rumor to
the effect that an operation was contemplated
to relieve the lung. DR.. Agnew also denied
the story and said the first he had heard of it
was in the morning papers. DIR. Bliss goes
to New York for few hours to day. DR..
Hamilton ventured the opinion on the Presi-
dents chances of recovery to friend this morn
ing, which, briefly stated, is in substance that
the septic condition of the Presidents blood
will necessarily cause fluctuations of the
pulse, temperature and respiration from time
to time uutil it is entirely eliminated; that he
considered it safe to say the President will
overcome the disturbances which may occur
from impurity of the blood, but it is alto
gether probable that various annOyances will
be oceasioned before the patient is entirely rid
of blood poison. He expressed the opinion,
however, that the President will eventually
overcome the effects of the poisoned blood,
and after that is accomplished recuperation
will be very rapid. When asked how long
it would probably take to accomplish this,
the doctor replied, probably about three weeks.
He considered that the present indications give
a reasonable ground for believing the Presi-
dent would ultimately recover, and be as well
a man as before he was shot. The President
expressed a desire for porter house steak,
which was prepared for him. DR.. Boynton
considers as long as the President holds his
own, the chances are in his favor, and that
while his condition to-day is as well as yester-
day, there cannot be said to be any change
The President was placed in a chair at noon.
GOOD DAY.
The President was replaced in bed after hav
Jug remained in the chair three quarters of an
hour DR.. Hamilton says he is having good
day, and no material chage in pulse and tenn
perature since the morning bulletin.
SURGEONS ANXIOUS.
New YORK, Sept. 15.-The Posts Long
Branch special says: The reasons, or one
reason, for the delay of the bulletin this morn
ing, was the care expended by the surgeons on
its phraseology. For the first time the SIR
geons committed themselves to the statement
that the President suffers from chronic blood
poisoning. Their language is intended to be
reassuring, but it is easy TO see they feel anx-
ious for the issue of the complication to which
they refer.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BULLETIN.
The language of the evening bulletin ex-
cites general comment in the light of the his
tory of the case. 1t has great significance.
The surgeons in charge have from the first
been exceedingly reluctant TO admit the pres
ence of blood poisoning in dangerous de-
greer This may de due to two reasons: First
to admit the presence of chronic pyemia is to
acknowledge the desperate condition Of their
patient. Second, to do so says substantially
that the theory of their outside critics is
correct. The sentiment of the medical
profession has within few days, however,
grown to be nearly unanimous in support of
the py@mia theory. The symptom are un-
mistakable. The violent fluctuations of his
pulse is sure indication of serious poison.
The action of the heart Is weak and spas
modic. 1t works in spurts, whereas the pulse
of well man beats with regularity The
statement by DR.. Boynton that the pulse has
gone to 100 and over at night, while it has
been reported few hours before and after at
100, is symptom taken in connection with all
the circumstances, which
CLEARLY POINTS TO PYEMIA.
Such being the case, the aspect from day to
dly of those local troubles which the bulletin
designates as "the various sceptic accidents
of the case" is matter of subsidiary conse
auence. There may be an abscess on the lung
to-day or not. An operation may be per-
formed to relieve it. These are incidents and
az such worthy of note, but they are only in
cidents and do not affect the real nature and
progress of the case. The President suffers
from constitutional disturbance which fol
lows well defined course and generally re-
suits in lingering death. The
acute form of py@mia /;
usually fatal in forty-eight hours or SO. In
its milder and chronic form sometimes months
elapsebefore death puts an end to the PATIENTS
suffering, and there are
CASES REPORTED OF ULTIMATE RECOVERY.
No one is disposed to find fault with the
carefully worded expressions of hope which