Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-08-27

net rooA tiiiS htoiuinS, Wds dsheu oy re-
| porter of the Associated Press what he
| thought of the Presidents condition.
Well,' he said, There is Just enough
encouragement this morning to revive the
faint hope which had up to last night that
| the President. would pull through. From
| what the surgeons told us yesterday even
| ing, received. the impression that the
parotid gland had very much the character
| of a severe and dangerous carbuncle, which
was enough of itself to bring well man
very low, evensif it did not ca use his death.
| With this impression, hope pretty much
left me. This morning. however, feel
again little encouragement" as so .al1
| Upon what ground?" ,x
| "Wel the if1f1amed gland, l am told,
| looks better than it did last night, and is
discharging quite freely through the ear.
! This the surgeons regard as favorable, and it
seems so to me. think, too, that the gem
| eral condition of the patient is a little i'm
proved to-day. His mind acts better and
| grasps ideas more readily than it did last
| night, and there has been this morning
| none of the incoherency of speech which
| was then noticeable. II he were getting
| worse don't think this would be the case
| Upon the whole, therefore, l think we are
justified in feeling slightly more encouraged
not entirely hopeless"
EXECUTIVE MANSION, 1.30 p. m.-Dr.
Woodward, upon being asked at IL O'Clock
whether there is any reason to-day for in
creased hope, replied: There is certainly
no reason for less hope. Pus is being
drained quite freely from the infamed
gland through the ear"
Is there any danger that pus will find
its way down through the throat 2"
| 81 think not Nothing but muscus has
been found in the throat as yet"
"What do you hope most for to-day ?"
| 'We hope that the incision made in the
face and the drain through the ear will take
| the pus from the gland"
| WAsH1NGroN, August 26.-The following
| was sent this afternoon:
Lowell, Minister London
| At this hour, II o'clock, the President
| pulse and temperature are higher. Pulse
11S, temperature 100. During several
| hours last night his pulse was 120. In the
early morning it fell to 108. 1t is hoped
that the parotid swelling has found a slight
release by the discharge of pus through the
right ear He continues to swallow liquid
| food in all adequate supply. He exhibits a
tendency to continuous sleep or drousiness.
His physicians pronounce his condition to
| be critical. BLAINE, Secretary.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, = p. m.-The noon
| bulletin has rather deepened than relieved
| the intense anxiety which prevails at the
| Executive Mansion. The discharge of pus
| from the infiamed parotid gland through the
ear, which was regarded this morning as a
| favorable change, and one likely to afford
| relief, has not thus far answered the expec-
| tations. The symptoms of the patient con
tinue to be urgent and alarming, and he
seems to be gradually sinking.
DIR. Bliss came out of the surgeons room
at LAO p. NJ, and made the following re-
plies to questions asked him by reporter
of the Associated Press
What do you think of the condition of
the President this afternoon Would YOU
call it alarming 2"
You may say alarming if You choose "
'' Is it worse than at any time hereto
fore?''
1T is as bad as at any time before; not
entirely hopeless you understand but very
grave"
Does he continue to take nourish-
ment? ?"
Yes; about the same as yesterday. We
have also resumed the administration of
enemata. His system seems to bear them
well, and stimulants can be given in that
way better than through the mouth"
"Do you mean alcoholic stimulants ;"
Yes; whisky"
What is the present condition of the
swollen parotid gland Pr
So far as we know, about the same In
order not to disturb him unnecessarily, we
did not take the poultices and wrappings
off this noon"
"1s the danger now to be apprehended
that of acute blood poisoning from pus in
the gland?"
Il don't think there is much danger of
that now. He is more likely to die from ex-
haustion. 1t is question of his ability to
hold out if the present condition of things
continues"
Has there been any recurrence of de-
ierium today"
Very little. Mrs Garfield, who is with
him all the time, says she noticed it only
| once this morning, and then to trifiing
extent
9 His mind You think, then, is clearer
than last night"
Decidedly so he talks rationally-not a
great deal it is true, but little-and is con-
scious of what is going on around him."
" Is the mental disturbance attributed to
the condition of the swollen gland or to the
absorption by the blood of any vitiated
products of suppuration there?"
No; think not 1t is due, l presume,
to the anemic condition of the brain. The
brain is not properly nourished 1t is one
of the effects of exhaustion"
''The fact, then, that his mind is clearer
and more active to-day than yesterday is
favorable symptom SO far as it goes 2"
"Yes"
Has the patients pulse been higher at
any time to-day than it was when the exam
ination was made for the noon bulletin?"
s'No, I think not OF course every
time we move or disturb him the rate of
pulse is accelerated, but we don't always
take it at such times and might not notice
transit fiuctuation The rate given in the
noon bulletin was, l believe, the highest OBJ
served to-day The character of the pulse,
however, is of quite as much importance as
the rate, and in the Presidents case the char
acter has improved little since morning !"
"ls Mrs. Garfield fully aware of the
gravity of the situation?"
Eyes; she is with her husband now
almost all the time. She is close observer
and notices slight changes i'll his condition
and appearance, and she discusses his symp-
toms with us frequently. We have not
thought it necessary to say anything to her
with regard to the probable result of the
case, because we still hope for recovery"
Does her strength hold out and does she
still keep up perfectly %
'' She has not shown the slightest weak
ness"
''In case the President should grow worse,
so much so as to leave no room for hope,
what would probably be the cause of
death p