, 1881-08-21

I ute above the normal power Of the heart
| The pulse-beat means nothing, they say; the
| temperature means everything. But all en-
gine which, day by day, and hour. by hour,
| is driven at . speed of 81 per
cent higher than it was designed
| to go is an engine which is in danger of
wearing out. and the heart is the boly's ell
gine: The President lies there tonight.
! where he has been for seven weeks, a weary,
broken, terribly sick. and wounded man.
From the crown Of his head to the soles Of
lis teet, almost like the afflicted man OF
Scripture, lie is a sufferer. The swelling of
the glands Of the neck las not materially
changed, but it has so tightcned the muscles
that the President is able to open his mouth
very little ways,-not more, it IS said, than
half al inch.
THE STOMACH
Is in slight degree resumlng its natural
functions but not to such an eytentas to give
assurance that it can take solid food. The
injections of nourisling food arc continued,
but at less frequent intervals, and it is
learned that even this supply Of nourish-
ment was in danger Of being cut of, as a
bowel trouble set III yesterday which carried
the enemata away before there was all op-
portunity for them to be absorbed, and the
surgeons were compelled to give instant
attention to that unexpected symptom. and
to check 1t, for if the food so
administered was not to be retained, and
the stomach could not support life, 4 very
serious condition would soon present itself.
The wound is said to be doing we'll. We
have thought for some days that it had
CEASED TO DE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR
i'll the Presidents conditlon,-tllat it had
healed to point within some three or four
inches from the mouth uf the lowest ineis-
ion, and the remainder of the track was
healed and granulated and the ball encystcd;
but to-day it is learned by the pub
lie for the first time, although tho
physicians knew it yesterday morning
aud concealed the fact, that II flexible rube WAS
yesterday forced into the wound IL distance of
twelve and onc-hulf inches from the mouth
through Il flesh valve which opened to pressure,
or u slough, and that a drainage tube Of that
length-the longest one that has ever been
used-is now, at the end of tho seventh week. In
the Presidents wound. Meanwhile the pulse Is
ITO, temperature two degrees above normal and
TWO degrees higher than this morning, and tho
respiration Is. The doctors,
WITH AN ASSURED TONE,
and with an air which perhaps they think is
cheerful Insist that the President is getting on,
that he is better, that there Is good ground for
hope: but in the bulletin tonight thoy do not
say he is better. They simply state thnt tho
President has passed the day quietly, and man
who can scarcely move a muscle Is not likely to
be very active; but thoy do not say in the buEle-
tins that there is good ground for hope. All the
world hopes thar there is, but there is a very
manifest despondeut feeling in the city to- |
night We have been studying these bulletins |
now for forty-nine duys. We have almost daily !!
been induced to hope. but glance at the scale |
of the Presidents physical condition since July |
: shows that there certainly is very little ground
for any enthusiastic confidence. DR.. Bliss, ill., |
deed,says thar
TIE PRESIDENT WILL GET WE'LL,
and DR.. Bliss doubtless ought to know. As the
day opened the situation, though critical, gave
some evidence Of improvement, and the couti
dence was greater than it had been the day be-
fore. The President seemed to have gained |
some in tie last twenty-four hours His wan
Ing vitality had taken to itself little new
strength. His sleep hau been the sleep Of nature.
His unfavoratle symptoms we're less alarming,
and the seventh day Of the seventh week had
commenced without realizing the fears of
tho, superstitious. When the first cxuminn-
tion was made this morning it was
found that the President was no worse. The
pulse and temperature were somewhat better.
dc took some cruel during the night BY the
mouth. and retained It, received on injection of
food, and slept well. The physicians, however
lid not say that he was any better than he was
TILE CONDITION OF THE SWOLLEN GLAND
was unchanged 1t had neither increased nor
and it did not appear whether the
swelling is 10 scatter or to suppurate. The sur
scons evidently greatly desire to scattcr it.
Their treatment BY external application has
1ad that object and the midnight dispatch Of
Secretary Blaine TO Minister Lowell clearly
'hoWs that suppurarion would create apprehcr- i
on. The President suffers pain from this
lew symptom. bur he has some discomfort from
t. 1t creates stiffness OF his muscles which
control the movements of the jnw, SO that he
:an only partially open his mouth. The SWELL
ng also causes the President to hawk a good
lcal In order to clear his throat He said dur |
ng the night to one Of the watching surgeons, |
l could clear this u1l out II could vomft.'' |
The surgeon, with some earucstne6s, warned
NOT TO ATTEMPT TO CLEAR HIS THROAT
d that manner. The surgeons have In their
'ubtic utterances made light Of this new sytnp-
ON. but it Is ascertAined that there fs mitch ap-
about it. They have constantly been
sinR hot external applications to scatter it mud
o prevent suppurauon, and during the night
zero especially earnest In their efforts to that
nd. but they were not successful. One of the I
urgeons, being asked this morning whether tho
Tort to reduce the swelling had been success |
ul, answered with some hesitation: ssWe have
ot scattered it. We do not know whether we {
ball. /,
And he expressed great surprise that any |
nowlcdge Of these efforts In that direction | t
houlu have been made public. DR.. Bliss, speak,
1g in general terms of the case, sud: IL SEQ :
othtng now to prevent improvement bur his S
while hopeful us all his extremely | t
ptimistic statements have been, 'Fas made with ! !
hat seemed to be
AN UN-AcCCSfoAED RESERVE. :,
he voice seems to be stronger than it was. at :,
Il events, twice during the night tho attendant -
tho end of the long corridor heard the Prcsi- -
ent call for q handkerchief. .
Shortly before the midday bulletin, which was -
ddny only in name, 1t not having, been issued :,
II 1:50, Dr.. Bliss said that tho President was :.
Ding we'll: that there were no unfayorable -
'mptoms, and that the situation was encourage :,
s. Whom tho bulletin appeared it occasioned
profound surprise from which the people
I've not yet recovered. 1t was, indeed, said in =
thut the President continued to do WELL was j.