New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-13
PRESIDENT GARFIELDS WOUND.
GERMAN CRITICISM AND AMERICAN RETORT.


GERMAN CRITICISM AND AMERICAN RETORT.
From The Medical Ggzette.
Recently DIR. William Hunt, senior surgeon
the Pennsylvania Hospital III ~ annual address de-
gerry took to review the criticisms uade by
Esmarch upon the treatment OF the late President Car
Tne style Of DR.. Hunts remarks are intercollegiate
aud Of seiO-cOmic character, but tley nOHe the
freely summarized as follows:
Es.,droh.-Ihe first Aysican who saw the President
Or. Towns nd-caIIed his fingers Immediately INTO the
wound without washing dlsmfectng Ills bands, and
thus carried infection into the wound. Dr; Townsend
was not one OF the surgeons who subsequently attended
the President. The wound having been thus poisoned
him. and upon Dr. Bliss and his colleagues must rest
the responsibility OF the Presidents death just at this
point there lore, EsDarch might have closed his clt-
F,tnt~Ihe hands Of American surgeons are generally
clean and rule railroad stations do not keep
twenty per cent solutions OF carbolic acld on Tap
Esmareh-When Drs Agnew and Hamilton arIiyed,
July A, renewed examination was made with probes.
flexible bousies etc. aud without anusepte precsu;
lions From which examination they became convinced
that neither the flyer kidneys intestnes nor portion
had been injured They ought 10 nave known ts wIth-
out such an examination.
Hunt-As no such examinations made by either
the gentlemen az this time by else, PTOfes-
sor Esarch give them credit for the exercise Of
average surgical skill IL drawing conclusions that
the viscers named were Lot wounded, inaeed 1t Is
Esmareh.-fhe permanganate Of potash which was,
after a time substituted for the carhoic acid wash
for The long SINUS, on the grouDa mat the patent was
exposed to the danger of being osoei ny the acd was
al inJudici0us substitution.
safely De left to the surgeons at Washington as 10 TIE
surgeon al KEEL
Esmdreh.-Antiseptc principles were not fully carried
Out la the oetails OF the dressings.
HuaL-This is a question Of JdcL The surgeons say
they fully carried out; they alone speak III
tegently nasmuch the precise and full details were
never gwen 10 the puDlc.
Esm0rch.-In military surgery there examples
enough OF recovery tTeLn similar injuries.
Hunt-Esmarch admits that the body Of one OF the
vereoIe perforated, and that the spenic artery
was wounded There is not example upon record
where bail been kn0ca To have passed through the
body Of human vertebT3 and the patient re-
covered No such specimen has been described
neQu IN. De M
is no recorded example OF recovery after "a gun
sho wound Of the speBc artery Esmarch admits both
these LESSONS IN tie OF the President ana there
admits that there were TWO injuries from neither OF
which IL 10 known that person has recovered.
EsDsdreh-Sags, as hunters say occasonaily shot
through tbe BODY OF yertebra but they and
wei-Decause, he ADDS, they prObed by ued
Clesome surgeons
Hunt.-I they ran away and got well how does the
hunter know that the ball passed through the body
Of A yerteDra, how does that dI
cemia Do hunters furnish any specimens, topses
OF supposed cases IL not, what sort of testimony
Is this hunters story for scientific discussion
IhOwevef, II were proven 10 Is not that stays tins
Injured made complete recovery because they
probed and poisoned by meddesoe and septic surgeons
& os admitted That they recovered without boc
acid or any other form OF aptiseptic dressing
Of such could be shown, Is IL fact that the
vertebra OF stag is much larger than the verebfa OF
man. and that perforaoD OF the same diameter would
for ihis be less lkeiy 70 cause death Ed,)
parallel, splenic artery IA the OF the stag,
should be wounded ALSO and there IL pretence thai
a recovery from bolh Of these LESSONS.
Esmqich--Tae ball was encysted, and therefore
surgeons. bismarck means, Of course DE-. Townsend.
Huna-Bacteria are fond IN Assesses which never
had any Communication with the external air, and