New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-24
A DAY OF ANXIETY.

DAY Ot ANAlEll.
UNFAyORABLE SYMPTOMS IN THE EARLY PART OF
THE DAY-THE SITUATION IN TIE EVENING MORE
ENCoURAGNG-sTRoNG HOPES OF AFAVoRABL1
ISSUE
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON. July 23-Three weeks ago this
morning President Garfield shot. During the
last week each succeeding report of his condition
has been more favorable than the one preceding
and. although the attending physicians had with
professional caution refrained from pronouncng the
patient out of danger people generally had settled
down in the happy belief that he would recover
Even in Washington, where the death of the PreS-
dent would affect personally many people, the
current of official life had resumed its usual chan
nels. aud favorab bulletins from the White House
were looked for as a matter of course. Everybody
happy in a sense of security, and everybody be-
lieved that the prayers for the Presidents recovery
had already been answered.
So great was the feeling of security that this
morning when the usual official bulletin did not ap-
pear at the usual hour the omission was hardly
noticed except hy those nearest to the President As
soon however, bulletin issued, at 10 a. m.,
in which the fact stated that the President had
had been postponed on that account, feeling of
genuine alarm Immediately spread throughout the
city. Members of the Cabinet who were about to
meet for conference regarding certain routine
matters affecting their Departments, postponed that
business and fastened to the Executive Mansion.
The bulletins displayed at varons places in the city
were surrounded with eager and excited crowds.
Novv fns nd
absurd that it did not find ready believers to
circulate and eXaggeIate it, while general gloom
Oycrspread the city,
A TRIBUNE correspondent on his way to the White
House, soon after o'clock, heard "a dozen of these
rumors-one to the effect that DR.. Bliss had de-
clared that the President could not live; another
that his pulse 100; and another that he was
rapidly sinking. and the physicians had given up all
hope of bis recovery. When the correspondent ar
rived at the White House few minutes later, he
found that while there panic there the feel
ing among those surrounding the President was one
of great anxiety.
How is it, Colonel p he asked of Colonel Corbn,
who entered with an anxious face.
"Well it is pretty bad. The Presidents temper
ature is very high and so is his pulse We nope for
the best"
Private Secretary Brown said "Of course we
feel very anxious, but we must not give up. The
President is resting quietly now and is perspiIing
His pulse is slightly lower than 1t was We do not
know what the temperature is now because the
doctors do not want to disturb him."
Has the President taken any nourishment to-
day7"
Yes, he has taken some milk and toast with beef
juice. but nothing solid for day or two now"
Have Doctors Hamilton and Agnew been sent
for!1
Yes; but not in anticipation of a fatal result
The attending surgeons naturally feel that in JUS
tice to themselves as well as to the consulting sur
geons, the latter should be called here. We expect
them this evening"
AT 3 O'clock when the Government Departments
poured forth their thousands of employees the streets
became more animated and the scenes Of three
weeks ago to-day repeated although in a
somewhat modified form. Dr. Bliss had spoken in
a somewhat more reassuring tone respecting the
Presidents condition, saying that he was no worse
than should have been expected after two
such rgors as he had experienced; but people gon-
orally seemed inclined and prepared to believe the
worst and stories that blood poisoning had devcl-
oped were circulated and by many believed In
deed it is reported that dispatches were s,a from
here this afternoon to number of newspapers
saying that pyaemia had set ill., There was no au-
thorty whatever for such statements so far as the
physicians i'll attendance upon the President were
concerned.
THE SITUATION VERY SERIOUS
DIR. Reyburn at 1 o'clock this afternoon left the
White House for the first time in all the anxious
morning. He said "The situation is serious ::
more serious than at any time since the President
was shot. We do not know what grave complica-
tions may arise"
" Does the wound look natural 7" was asked,
" 1t looks well" he said, " and there is no glazed
appearance, as there generally is whom pyemia is to
be feared.r
Has there been free discharge of pus during
the night Z"
There has not" he replied. YESTERDAY there
was an unusual amount discharged-four ounces
This morning when the wound was dressed there
was very httle.n
WAS the pus healthy %