The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-07-29
The Egis and Intelligencer.
BEL AIR, Md, JULY go, 1881.
Views Of DIR. Hammond.

The New York Herald of Tuesday gives
the result of an interview with ex,Surgeon.
General VIM. A. Hammond, one of the most
eminent surgeons in the country, on the treat
ment of the Presidents case. The Herald
says:
The opinion expressed by Elk Surgeon General
VIM. A. Hammond Immediately after the shoot
ing of the President, that his wound would prove
fatal, gives interest to that physicians present
view OF the case DIR. Hammond was just going
out of town last evening when he was called
upon. but he stopped fol few minutes to
express his serious misgivings as to the past
treatment of the Presidents wound.
1.-THE Herald has been perfectly right in its
structures upon the treatment of he case, Dr.
Hammond said. at certainly is great pity
that the President has not had the best talents
and treatment available in the country.
'In what respects has the treatment been
wrongp'
''The surgeons have never made search for the
the bullet, which was the very first thing they
ought to have done, and they have never made
the slightest endeavor to extract the bullet
They have evidently been afraid to treat the
President as they would treat an ordinary man,
and that is all wrong. 1t seems to me that
everything that was essential to the salvation
of the President has been neglected. DUST hear
what I. LoDgmore, in his Treatise on Guushot
Wounds" says On the subject"
as he an authority"
'There is none higher" DR.. Hammond read
from the book which he took from one of the
shelves of his ample library, the following pass
ages, interspersing his own comments in making
the application to the present case:
"On arrival al the hospital-'in this case,' the
doctor explained, "the White House'-where
comparative leisure and absence of exposure
afford means of careful diagnosis and definite
treatment, the following are the points to be at
tended to by the surgeon: First, examination
of the wound with view to obtaining correct
knowledge of its nature and eXtent-"now that
has never been DONE the doctor declared-and
second, removal ofany foreign bodies which may
have lodged. "Ihat, has never been DONE
was again the DOCTORS declaration.
"One of the earliest rules for examining gun
shot wound is to place the patient as nearly as
can be ascertained in position similar to that in
which he was in relation to the missile at the
time of being struck by it. In almost every
instance the examination will be facilitated by
attention to his precept.
"Could that have been done in the case of the
President Doctor?"
"Uudoubledly he could have been raised in
bed, and, by the assistance of the witnesses to |
the shooting, the direction of the bullet could
probably have been ascertained But no effort |
ever was made to do that" the doctor added,
with an expression OF infinite disgust.
GO AS soon as the presence of the ball or other |
foreign body is ascertained it should be removed
If it be lying within reach from the wound OF
entranceit should be extracted through this
opening by means of some ofthe var GUS instru- |
ments devised for the purpose"
This finished the reading and the doctor made |
some hurried preparations for his departure, but |
was asked, "Do you think the bullet could have |
been taken outg"
"Ceranly,' the doctor replied; at should
have been cut out, and that would probably have
done the President no harm"
"And what do you think of the present con
dition of the President?'
"Well | should say he has ninety chances out
of one hundred against him.