The daily gazette., 1881-07-27
From the N. Y. World.
The Presidents Physfcfans.

1t must be obvious to every rational
and patriotic person that his duty, in
view of the condition of the President,
is to deprecate all excited discussion
upon any incident of the Presidents
illness, or upon any incident arising
out of that illness. Cruel injustice
has already been done as a result of
giving way to the excitement which
the attack upon the President occa-
stoned. Scarcely anything could be
more indecent or more cruel, for ex-
ample. than an endeavor TO persuade
the public, at this Stage OF the Presl-
dents illness, that his case is not In
competent hands. The Presidents
physicians doubtless fully understand
that more than a hundred thousand
members of their profession through
out the Union are critically examining
every bulletin and In their own circles
giving approving or dissenting and, it
may be feared, often not very good
natured opinions as to the treatment.
Such professional criticism is perhaps
to be expected in such case but the
Presidents physicians could hardly
expect that any impatient Journalists
should undertake to create a popular
uneasiness at their mode of treatment
such uneasiness, for instance, as was
plainly meant to be melted yesterday
by one of our contemporaries In assert
ing "That such cavity could form
"within three inches of the mouth of
"the wound and escape detection until
sit had caused py@mia does not give
60 hannu in, pra q i'm of tho oc,,tanaoe
'of the doctors about the President"
Fortunately for the foregoing
conclusion, the fact upon which II was
partially founded is incorrect-for
both DIR. Agnew and DR.. Hamilton
deny that "py@mia" had been
''caused." "The doctors about the
President" are men of professional
standing, who ought not to be lightly
attacked and who certainly ought not
to be subjected TO lay criticism. Their
course OF treatment has certainly not
been discussed unfavorably In public
by any physicians of equal standing
with themselves. No doubt the un-
seemly squabbles which physicians
who are engaged in the case have car
red on with other physicians who are
not Engaged in the case has had o
share in exciting whatever uneasiness
there has been as to the Presidents
treatm Mt.
But it is none the less the part Of JUS
;ice as we'll as of good sense to deprecate
this uneasiness instead Of increasing 1t.
"The doctors about the Presidentn are
not only, with scarcely an exception, ,meD
of high standing, but before taking any
serious step they have been solicitous to
secure the personal attendance and sane
tion of specialists Of whose eminence
there is no question. Surgeon General
Barnes supervised and edited "The Sur
gical History Of the Rebellion" which
the Government published, and which
is recognized In Europe as well as In
this country as most important con-
tribution to medical science. DR.. Bliss
was for three years during the war In
full charge of one of the most important
of our military hospitals--the hospital
| In W ashington-at which some of the
most difficult and complicated cases OF
gun shot wounds were treated. DR.. Ag-
new and DR.. hamilton were selected As
consulting surgeons In order apparently
not merely to secure the benefit of their
own experience and skill, but to reassure
the county In case any question should
arise during the progress Of the case, and
these two eminent surgeons Lave ex-
pressed their entire satisfaction with the
| treatment of the case at every stage.
What better guarantee can possibly be
| furnished the country than has thus
| been furnished that the President IL In
| xoad hondso
A public criticism Of the treatment
which has been pursued, by men Of
equal emineDce with those who have
had charge Of the case, would Of course
be entitled to respect. But no such
criticism has been offered, nor is any
such criticism likely to be offered. In
the absence Of such competent and res-
ponsible criticism, what possible good
can be done by incompetent and irres.
ponsible criticism of "the doctors about
the President?
They found upon applying the instru.
ments that splinters from the rib were
In the track of the wound, and DIR. Ae-
new, by inserting his finger, took oui
one piece the size of flnger-pail and
several very small chips. A free flow o.
pus followed the removal Of these, ant
after cleansing the wound new and
larger tube was inserted In the incise(
part, the purpose being TO secure bettel
drain ,ge.
At this examination, which was JUS
after the mornine1bullelin had been ID
sued, there was some confederation cve
e advisability Of allowing the uppe
part Of the old wound to heal sluce th'
| inrixad mart te in tha lina nj tha fcW q