The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-09-28
DIR. noYNToN ON NTHEAuTOPsY.
He COrreets Some Measurements aS to
His Relations 10 the Ease.

PHILADELPHIA, September PA special
dispatch to the Prss from Cleveland gives
an interview with DR., Boynton in regard to
the autopsy. Dr. Boynton said: There
have been great many misstatements as
to my relations to the council of attending
and consulting surgeons in the case OF the
dead President, and as to my views upon
the autopsy and upon the autopsical report.
In order to set myselfright before the pub
lie, shall publish as soon us can with
propriety do so (which will certainly not
be until after the interment Of the dead
Presidents hodv), q statement giving the
facts. The fact Us you know, the relations
existing between myself and the surgeons
OF the council were pleasant-very pleas
ant. They were allopathists, | was homeo-
pathist, Yet our intercourse was OF the
most friendly and agreeable character,
markedly so. Do not let there be any mis-
take about that. While | differed with
them often and strongly, it was always am
icably. In nv published statement about
the autopsy | shall cOntinG myself to a
criticism OF the gratuitous statement in the
autOpsical report, that there was no abScess
in the lungs That assertion was superllu-
ous II true. They might us well have said,
there was no abscess in the great toe 1t
might be that there was no pus cavity in
the lungs. But pus cavity is not an ab.
sceSs. | have not changed my opinion re-
specting the condition OF the lungs since
the autopsy, That grltlitous statement in
She autopsical report had defect upon it,
knew that the right lung was full OF pus
points mot one great ahcess, but II hun
dred little Rbsccsses,) 50 that when knife
was drawn through IL the pus followed 1t.
shall not go beyond the lungs. | know
something OF their condition. |
will leave the rest to the practitioners
Of their school. They are able and ready
to take 1t In hand. Some OF them Rre al-
ready preparing. Hammond, you know,
has three hundred page book in press on
thesubject. Other distinguished ull0pathists
will have something to say about this, that
and the other features OF the case, and its
treatment. Oh We are going to have II
stormy time Of it as soon 0s the discussion
can decently be commenced. OF course
the whole matter must rest in the presence
Of the dead. The opinions expressed by
the surgeons, within md without the au-
topsiCal reports, furnish many points for
criticism, some OF which are already under
consideration. One Is the alleged location
OF the bullet in the back. Eminent sur.
geons wonder how they located it.
They have said to me, we could
not have located bullet picked up in
wash basin containing the>contents
OF his abdominal cavity, while thesurgeons
were exploring the abdominal region for il
within six inches Of the spot where 1t had
lodged" Nor could |. am inclined to
think the bullet was lodged where they
located 1t. located It there very early in
the case. When the tingling sensations Oc'
Cured in the limbs, we accounted for ii,
you remember, by saying that the bullet
had severed the great sympathetic perye,
but that was simply n guess, | remember
| spoke to the President and Mrs. Garfield
about my theory, that It had struck the
backbone. Aiterward, admit ! thought it
had lodged in the region OF the illlCa fossa,
but my original hypothesis seems to have
been correct"
"Did the bullet sever the yertebral col
umn?"
"No, It did not touch the spinal cord. 1t
simply struck the bone, and lodged in the
back"
%rhen the wound was not necessarily
fatal ?"
"No. Had pus cavities not formed, had
py@mia not set in, the patient might have
been saved"
"The surgeons will have hard time de-
Tending the statements ADVANCED by them
from time to time in the bulletins"
"Yes, they will; but after all Hamilton
and Agnew had little to do with their pre-:
partition. They simply took DR.. Bliss,
statements as fact There is one thing that
can be said about those bulletins. Not one
after the first was ever submitted to the
President. After the first he was not lit to
criticise the bulletins. They were not tint
ed with colour de rose for his sake"