Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-19
GHISTLY GOSSIpING.


New York. one of the eminent consulting
surgeons in the last illness of President
Garfield. is alleged to have made that
President Garfield was 6osed to death by
Dr.. Bliss is causing no little sensation
and even CONSERVATION, as we'll 1t may, II
true. The Washington grid nsncs give
out that DR.. Bliss threatens libel suit. So
far from this having foundation.
he expresses his entire disbelief that DIR.
Hamilton has ever made any such state
ment.
The GLOBE does not step 10th as the
cham pion OF DR.. Bliss, and is not among
his admirers. But truth, justice and even
humanity are to be vindicated in this mat
ter. Such reports carry additional anguish
to tie bcceaved family, and hence are
at variance with humane spirit
Dr.. Hamilton is seriously i'll, perhaps
on his death bed. His condition awakens
grave. anxiety. The lying, sensation-mon-
gers o. Washington seize upon this mo-
ment to put forth their accusatory state
ments, knowing that DR.. Hamilton is too
i'll to correct mis-statements, and perhaps
may not live to correct them.
The GLOBE very we'll remembers
that Immediately On the death of Presi-
dent Garfield at Elberon, the statement
was made, which has never been in any
way contradicted, that DR.. Hamilton ap-
preached the oldest SON of the deceased.
and assured him that the wound received
by his father was fatal from the very mo-
ment it was received, and that it was not
in the compass of human power and skill
to save him. To relieve his06ufferlngs as
much as possible was the only work of
surgical capability.
The GLOBE remembers, too, that DR..
Hamilton never expressed sanguine hope
of favorable result, when his associates,
and even the wife of the distinguished
patient and others, believed him to be
on the sure road to recovery.
To say now that he died from mal-prac-
tice that his valuable life might have been
saved, and that ne Tell a victim TO ignorant
empiricism, is statement too CHASTITY to
be endured. We fully believe that if DR..
Hamilton lives he will put a quletus on
this scandal. and reafirm the statement
made to the son at Elheron.
No more skillful or capable medi-
cal service could have been sum-
moned TO the case; and that
any one of the surgeons went counter
to the course agreed upon in consultation,
is not worthy of belief; certainly not on
the strength of common rumor.
How sadly does the death of Garfield
contrast with that of Washington. The
former had all the tender and skilled appli-
ances of nearly century's growth in pro-
gressive medical science, while the medi-
cal practice in Washington's day was of a
different school, a school now aban-
doned. It is difficult to look
upon the last illness and treatment of
Washington without amazement, in view
of the practice now in vogue.
That illustrious citizen had been exposed
to the stormy sleet of wintry December
day. He took severe cold, and at night
complained of sore throat. He left his
house but once on the next day. During
the night following he had an ague chill, the
soreness of his thr oat increased, so that he
could speak and breathe with difficulty.
He took his first cold on Thursday. Dec.
10Th. On Friday the 18th, he left his house
briefly but once. to superintend some work
upon the laws. In the night he was taken
worse. and Saturday morning physicians
were summoned. DR.. Craik, his
physician, was in charge, and
DR.. Brown and DR.. Dick were called into
consultation. The inflammation of the
throat was very severe. He was bled four
times at intervals without receiving any
relief. His throat was blistered with can
| tharides, and calomel and tartar emetic
administered, and other means resorted to,
but without avail. No relief was obtained.
The profuse venesection, authorized by the
practice of that day, manifestly weakened
his aged forces. and at about IL. O'Clock
that evening, Saturday.the 14th, he expired
in the sixtyeighth year of his age.
His disease was new one.
His physicians did not under
stand it, and could not cope with it. The
disease was acute laryngitis, and was of
rare occurrence, and never till ten years
later was it described and its treatment
suggested, when Matthew Bailey, of London,
called the attention of the medical pro-
fession to it. fias4a = -2sf.
Why would it not be appropriate
for the gossiping ghouls and quid
''uncs of Washington, to arraign the ply
sic1ans of Washington for malpractice,
and charge them with his death? They
acted up to their best lights and expert
ence, and in accordance with their school
of practice, and it is questionable with
even greater skill and experience. whether
it was in human power to have arrested
the progress of the terrible disease.
But Washi ngton is too far removed
by lapse of years from present scenes,
to make any capital by arraigning his
physicians, while Garfield's tragic death
in our times, is so near US, and SO con-
nected with living men and passing events,
as to prevent his being allowed to lie
! quiet III his grave.
Honest and Liberal.
! When the Hops in each bottle of Hop Bitters
lat the present price 81 % per H. cost moro