Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-09-16
SURGEON BLISS OUTvOTED.
A BULLETIN THAT TELLS THE TRUTH
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT

An Official Admission that his Blood has
for Several Weeks Boon Poisoned
mado BY . Majority Vote.
For many weeks newspaper correspon-
dents in Washington have insisted that
the president was suffering from blood
poisoning, whether septicamia Or pyemia,
and physicians attending the president
have as persistently denied that such was
the case. Yesterday morning, after an
hour and a-half of animated conference, the
doctors, or a majority of them, decided that
the time had come for saying that the
president was suffering from blood
poisoning. This they do in an inciden-
tai allnsion to " the various septic acci
dents which have for several weeks (com-
plicated) and Go still complicate his case"
eral weeks ago was at the time recorded
Some of the doctors who sign this morn
ing's belated bulletin privately admitted
the septic condition of the blood when it
first manifested itself several weeks ago,
but on account of what is called medical
ethics, or other reasons, they chose to ap-
pear to give an official denial to such re-
ports. Within three days the surgeon in
charge has said for publication that the
president had no blood poisoning, and that
his wound was entirely healthy. The same
physician in charge now has over his
own signature, said in effect that the
president has been suffering from blood
poisoning for weeks.
This bulletin was not prepared until
after a prOtracted and animatrd confer
ence, a report of which will not be made
in an official bulletin or tho medical his
tory of tho case. There has been sharp
difference of opinion between tho doctors
as to the wisdom, prOpriety, or necessity,
of telling the whole truth in the bulletins
While it may not he said that these officials
have been untruthful, it is fact that they
have told half truths and have concealed
some of the most important symptoms.
DIR. BOyntOn has for sOme weeks insisted
that the president has been suffering from
chronic py2mia. DR.. Agnew has pri-
vately said to number Of friends, and
among them to Attorney General Mac
Veagh, within week. that the president
had pyHmia, thus practically confirming
DR.. BOyntOn's opinion. DR.. Hamilton is
extremely reticent, but it is known to
those nearest to him that he agrees with
DIR. Agnew. The confidential utterances
Of these two doctors could not be kept
secret, and the fact that they hold this
opinion has recently became known to the
| newspaper reporters.
The conference of yesterday morning
was called for the specific purpose of de-
Gliding whether or not any statements
should be made upon the subject, and
whether or not hereafter the surgeons
| should be wholly candid with tho public.
DIR. Agnew came from Philadelphis, ex-
pressly to attend this conference. The
discrssion was animated, and at the close
DR.. Bliss, the surgeon in charge, was out
votcd He opposed any. acknowledgment
of py9mIa, and Drs. Agnew and Hamilton
insisted that the fact should be stated.
They carried the day. This is tho first
vote that has been taken since Drs. Barnes,
Reyburn and Woodward were relea sed
from attendance On the president.
In his dispatch to Lowell last night
MacVeagh says: "He is still very weak
and as this weakness is due to the condi-
ton of tho blood, while it continues grave
anxiety must also continue"