The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-07-28

SuuiuS bAot tuC1S WCAC nOPCo Va HIS uubA ~
,overy. Some one asked him if it was "only
hope" He answered shat and a slim chance
ire all.p The surgeons were told Of the way
The President spent the night, and were shown
the hourly record of the night, showing rapid
rise, followed by equally rapid decrease in the
fever. They decided promptly that an artifi
cial channel should be made to facilitate the
discharge of the pus An examination of the
wound revealed the fact that the course of the
bullet was an irregular one, and that after it
entered the body it turned first to the right
and then downward. The point in the tnrn
nearest the surface of the body, at the right of
the back proper, was definitely ascertained
and an incision was made towards it. The pus
cavity or abcess was reached, and the course
being Strengthened, it was expected that the
object sought would be secured. More time,
however, than that since elapsed will be
necessary before it can be stated as certainty
whether the operation was success as far as
results are concerned. This has been secured
and this only, that the canal has been straight
ened and the distance which the pus has to
travel to reach the lint absorbent on the out
side shortened by at least two inches if not
more. The wound was not probed, and for
the reasons already given in these dispatches
will not be. This incision was last resort.
It was avoided as long as possible. The con-
dition continuing to grow worse 1t was neces-
sary to save life, for unless it was done blood
poisoning which in popular words is pus in
the blood, would certainly follow. 1t does,
though, not afford any reliefif blood-poisOn
ing has developed in any degree. Though
blood poisoning is greatly feared in all cases,
and this is the principle in peritonitis, 1t is
not necessarily fatal, though should itset in in
the Presidents case the great majority OF
chances would be against him just now on &C.
Is IT. In Eoynp
that he has had for the past thirty hours has
exhausted him very considerably. 1t has rag
ed to such an extent that it completely destroy.
ed his appetite, which all along, n0twithstand-
ing the exaggerations to the reverse, has not
been very much. He Is ther efore consuming
nothing which can feed it, and it necessarily
gets its force and supply from his own organi-
cation. A change must come soon, and be for
the better, or the President cannot survive.
He has already violated so many theories, and
hung on to life SO long regardless ofprecedent
that he is admitted by all medical men to be
remarkable in this respect. His physicians,
and indeed hardly any one about the White
House that newspaper correspondents come in
contact with, look for him to live many days
longer unless really favorable change takes
place of a permanent character.
The evening bulletin was on the whole IA
vorable, the pulse at o'clock being found tp
be 1O4, while the temperature was considers
bly, lower than what it had been. The fever
did not increase during the afternoon, though
1t cannot be said that it went down much.
Dr. Hamilton assisted in the evening dressing
of the wound Like the other physicians, he
was shade more confident in the evening.
DR.. Agnew, who has a patient under treat
ment in Philadelphia, was required to leave
at 545 this afternoon for that city. 1t was
DR.. Agnew who performed the operation this
morning. He will return tomorrow, when
DR.. Hamilton will 90 to New York, to return
the next day should the necessities of the case
demand it. Mrs. Garfield at the request OF
the physicians, took ride in the country this
evening, starting just Q little before shutdown.
Upon her return DR.. Hamilton took tea with
her and the Presidents children. There was
a crowd of considerable size at the gate when
the evening bulletin was posted up, but soon
afterwards dispersed, the news from the sick
chamber being more satisfactory than was ex-
pected. Great satisfaction was expressed over
the fact that the discharge of pus through the
opening made in the morning was resumed,
the impression being that if it confined it
would relieve the patient of much OF the fever
an general disorganization that he has suffer
ed from in consequence Of its being OBJ
structed. .ItrgR
OPINION OF THE PRESIDENTS NURSE.
Mrs. DR., Edison, the Presidents nurse, said
to-day: 1.-THE chill on Saturday morn ing
found the President in weak condition. He
was always before that bright in the morning,
but he felt bad yesterday morning. One of
the reasons for this was that he did not get a
good rest the night before" She said that the
relapse was a natural result of the wound and
was not superinduced by overtalking, malaria
or the host of other things charged with it.
She said the chances were if more dangerous
symptoms did not develop, that the President
would recover from the effects of yesterday in
four or five days. She says every one in the
White House vas alarmed, and that the Sc
cond chill was very discouraging but that she
did not know until to-day that any one on the
outside knew of the change in his condition.
She says the President understands that his
condition is grave and has known so all along
and that nothing has been concealed from him
by his physicians; that it was this full knowl
edge that helped him through more than any
thing else yesterday morning. He did not
complain of being weak, though he said he
felt tired and worn out. She says that the
unfavorable change affectedsMr Garfield very
much, but that whenever by the bedside she |
wore cheerful look, never betraying in the |
slightest her innermost feelings. "The wife
of the President" said she, "is the woman for
the situation no matter how she feels, as long
as her strength will keep up she will remain
outwardly calm, and the charm of her pres
ence will smooth away the Responding feeling
to which the suffering of the President may
make him give away" In answer to the direct
question as to whether the President would
finally recover, she said: eve have not lost
hope, though this may delay his recovery. He
will pull through, provided no other dangerous
symptom shows itself.