Morning journal and courier., 1881-11-18

s Dr. Bliss then approaches the first of u ! most critical points in the history of u 2 Presidents case. He says regarding tn -I first interview between Mrs. Garfield and th President: ssUpon her arrival he requeste
 1 that their interview should be entirely pr ' vate. Thus the prostrate and apparently dy ing husband met his wife. She remained b his side not more than five minutes. Tn words of love, hope and cheer given him ar known only to themselves and God. It is | fact, however that within an hour the Presi
 dents symptoms began to experience reac
 tion.' In the course of his screed Dr. Bis
 ! relates various instances as characteristic O
 l the great patient. The following is one
 The President rarely spoke of his condition
 seldom expressed @ want and only once II
 my hearing referred to the circumstance ot l his shooting. He asked of the Secretary oi
 State in the afternoon the name of the assas
 sin" On being told he said, ''Why should he have wished to shoot me?'' It was ex
 plained that he had probably been disappointed in seeking some office l Dr. Bliss then gives a history of
 the first days treatment and his own issu ance of hourly bulletins to allay the anxiety of the public. The next morning the Presi- | dent called him and said he was prepared to | die and feared not to know the worst 'sMr President. your injury is formidable. In my | judgment you have chance for recovery" He placed his hand upon my arm and turn | ing his face more fully toward me said, with 8 cheerful smile, ''Wen, Doctor, I will take l that chance" After the morning consulta- tion and the dressing of the wound, having at my request decided upon his permanent professional attendance, he desired me to thank individually the physicians who came to his assistance so promptly. While the condition of the President continued critical the day was comparatively uneyentfuL In
 the evening it was decided to summon the distinguished counsel from Philadelphia and New York, Doctors D. Hayes Agnew and Frank Fl. Hamilton. Dr. Bliss then proceeds to speak in the highest terms of commenda-
 tion of the cheerfulness of the patient and those about him, and of the Presidents ex-
 pressed determination to live for others if
 possible. When the President was informed
 that surgical operation was necessary be-
 cause of the formation of Q superficial pus
 sac, and that the use of the knife was neces-
 sary,. he replied in cheerful tone, ''Very we'll whatever you say is necessary must be
 done." This is one of the most painful in
 cidents mentioned in Dr. Bliss statement.
 He describes 1t as follows in the most simple
 language
 "When the physicians entered the room I handed
 the instrument to of the counsel with the
 that he nahe the incision without anasthetc.
 Without even murmur or a muscular contraction by
 the patient the incision was made He quietly asked
 the results of the operation and soon sank into
 peaceful sumber- This operation though simple in
 itself, was painful, and the manner in which it was
 borne by the President in his enfeebled condition
 was perhaps as good an instance any of the won
 derfu nervous control which characterized his hole
 illness his power of mind over body was also
 daily exhibited at the dressings of his wound, which
 were unavoidably painful and yet invariably borne
 without indication of discomfort and also at subse
 guent operatons always painful Nearly all the nu-
 was administered by the physicians, but up to within
 an hour of his death he almost invariably took the
 glass in hs hand and drank from it without assist
 ance. He took pride in his ability to do this. We
 watched every indication which gave hope of pass
 able assimilation without clogging He did not draw
 breath was m aard Inv inc
 nurses General Swain, Colonel Rockwell, Dr. Boyn- ton, Mrs Edson, Steward Crump or by rs Reyburn,
 Woodward or myself. We knew that complete ali
 mentat1on as possible was the primary indication.
 When the stomach failed resort was had to other
 modes of administering food, which repeated at
 proper intervals for four five days. At several
 ms We saw hi sp1s 95 some internal injury which no mortal could have
 aared to explore sought every available means 9f ern physiological science. Why we could not finally
 President integentiy discussed each co itfon with me. He often spoke with feelings of wonder of the sufferer in his condition, saying on occasion,
 What relief these so called artificial methods of nourishment have given me? We should be thank full that science has advanced that avail ourselves of it in this crisis"
 Dr. Bliss then details Garfeld's expression of appreciation of the generous contributions made towards the fund for the benefit of his wife and family in the case of his demise He follows with detailed descriptions of scenes in the sick room, each of which is especially Illustrative of the extraordinarily general happy and appreciative nature of the patient In connection with the memorable struggle at Albany which resulted in the de- feat of Senator Conkling, Garfeld's words when informed of the result will pass into history as the expression of great man. They were in effect regret for Conkling and a pledge to do for him as the Executive any favor he might desire or to make any ap- polntment he might desire. Special attention | is paid to Mrs. Garfeld's devoted attention | to her husband. Upon the arrival at Elberon | there was anxiety on the part of all connect ed with the case. But the fears were allayed | by evidences of improvement for the first l few days. It is evident, however, that the l President appreciated the gravity of the case, | as is shown by the following interview which | occurred upon the occasion of the return of | Dr. Bliss from few hours absence in New l York. It is thus described:
 Upon my return the President held out his hand and attempted familiar smile. I said Mr Presi- dent, have been away for few hours you know, you plainly show the eff-ct of all this and rest and am glad you were forced to ke this tenn soon be over " Dr. Bliss continues t.1he history of the next four days that of anxious apprehen turbance which might at any tin cause a ia al re suit The disposition to converse was not so marked called by word or touch of the hand The occur of occasional rgors sometimes severe, and the almost entire failure aSslmllate all the inevitable fatal end think that then and prob ably long before the President fully believed that he could not survive Perfectly calm, stient and inclined jocose and humorous, there still undercurrent of conviction which all our optimism could not sten'
 Dr. Bliss mentions that the President even | wrote his own epitaph and announced that his career was ended. Dr. Bliss account of i the Presidents death is as follows |
 After making some arrangements for the Presi- dents comfort and after the arrival of General night, Mrs Garfield left the sick and retired
 afterward rs-entered the room took the pulse and my room to prepare the directions for | the night where I visited by Colonel l ability of a favorable night. The Colonel to re- lieve General Swain at PRO myself did not l special make at that hour should the President be awake and his condition favorable. needed rest At lO:1O looking some of the wonderful productions of the human imagination | suddenly appeared at the door of communication and said, 'Genera Swain wants you quick" He preced- screen near the door and raised it SO the light fell upon the to settle in the rigid lines the gas ping respiration the total unconscious ness, with uplifted hands exclaimed, My God, | vant added ssCall Mrs Garfield immediately. and l on your return Drs Agnew and Hamilton" On the well who was the first member of the household in the room. Only moment elapsed before Mrs. Gar matter N said s.Mrs. Garfield, the President is | dyingn Leaning over her husband and fervently | kissing his br 1w she exclaimed "'Oh. why am made to suffer this cruel wrong ?" Meantime. by what l seemed some mysteriou, means of communication, | the whole household present at once. Mrs Gar field, Mrs Rockwell, Miss Molie Garfield, Miss Rosk we'll MT. c. O. Rockwell MT. J. Stanley Brown, Dr. Agnew, Dr. Boynton and srvants and myself were 1 witnesses of the last sad in this sorrowfu his tory While summoning Mrs. Garfield had in vain sought pulse at the wrist, next the carotid artery and last by placing over the region of the heart Restoratives, which always at hand, were instantly resorted to. In almost conceiv able way it sought to revive the rapidly yielding vital forces. faint futtering pulsaion of the heart gradually fading to indstinct- last only few moments after the first alarm, at 1 lO:s5 raised my head from the breast of my dead friend and said ths sorrowing group, 'it is over. gradual the final across the dark river that for few moments doubted the accuracy of my senses The Presidents face changed but lit | tie in death cannot describe this The vital spark has gone. No human will, skill or courage of heart could longer avail The once magnificent |