The Dickinson press., 1885-03-07
GRANTS p1TIABLE CONDITION.

CoOeU 70 10 Being
Added to His Other Affections, He Is a
Constant sufferer-Talks with His Physl-
clans and Son Fred.
NEW YORK, Special Telegram, Feb. % The
announcement of Gen. Grants alarming and
probable fatal illness to-day caused great
surprise among his numerous friends.
Anxious inquiries were made as to his condi-
tion, coupled with expressions of hope
that the reports had been exaggerated
and that the general would soon
be restored to health. 1t is now believed
that the malady from which Gen. Grant is
suffering cannot but have a fatal termina-
ton, and also that his dissolution may
time, a few months being the max
imum period of his life, with
the chances that a shorter time will end his
earthly career. All the physicians in attend
ance upon him concur in this view of the
case, and the generals immediate family have
abandoned all hope OF his recovery. His
wife and all his children, with the
cabled for from England, are constantly in
attendance upon the general, and their deep
sorrow is intensified 10y a realization of the
fact that his sntferings are Of the most
intense character. He can only have
temporary relief while sleeping, and even
this during the past few nights has become
an lmposslbilitv, as insomnia has been added
70 his other complications. SO that he is prac-
tcally an almost continual sufferer. Death
from cancer may not occur Immediately,
but 1t is sure to come in a very short time
and at a III when least expected. Gen.
Grant presents Il pitiabie appearance at pres
emit His face and head are bandaged, his
eyes are sunken and his face wears a sal
whitened greatly. This is the worst form of
his disease, and has brought about loss of
appetite. His doctors assert that he is sub
sisting largely upon his vital tissues, and
ne Is growing preceptibly weaker day
Of the soft tissues of the roof of the mouth
with hardness and soreness at the base of the
tongue. 1t is With great difficulty that the
general opens his mouth to admit food. He
suffers the most excruciating torture from
escapes him The general knows he must
die, and yet he does not want to believe it.
There were many callers ut the house to-day,
but they We're not admitted to the generals
presence, and after warm expressions Of
family they withdrew. Throughout his i'll
ness Gen. Grant has labored faithfully at his
literary tasks. His history of the rebellion
Is now practically completed, and the maya
zine articles for the Century are also finished.
RELATED by FIRED GRANT.
NEW YORK, Feb. 2S.-In regard to Gen.
Grants health, Col. Fred Grant said to a Post
reporter this afternoons:
My father is a very sick man. There is no use
longer denying the fact. We have made every
effort to Keep the facts from the public. be
It HsDS' should b Become 'nA known as that fotn h he
was dangerously ill there would be
o hundred letters coming in with every mai, and
covery less hopeful. My father he had little
rest for the past few nights. He
was up and about his room for
a little while vaSlar1oy- and W. howe tn uat hin,
up again to-day; but he is suffering constant
pain in the ear and head, For any facts con-
cerning the nature of his disease, I refer you to
his physician.
The doctors who are attending him are DIR.
FordFce Baker, DR.. j. II. Douglas and Dr.. Il.
B. Sands of this city, and DR.. 7. ii. Merker
of Philadelphia. DIR. Douglas said:
I am no Wise responsible for the rose-colored
report that appeared in a medical journal last
week. Two days before the report was pub
i Mands at at n Gen. a er s9aysfsf houae. % VIZ both DEi
decided that the generous growth at
the root OF the tongue, was hardening and stead
case was one Of malignant cpithelial growth.
Gen. Grant isa very sick man, and / think there
is little or no hope that he will recover. He is
breaking down, but has displayed much courage.
In less than a month he has done as much
as six or eight hours work a day, but
days and we have tried to keep the knowledge
Of his true condition from the general
because he had SO many other troubles
tained that his trouble is from
a cancerous growth at the root Of the tongue,
caused no doubt by excessive smoking. Every
time he speaks or breathes or eats this is dis
turbed. II Is difficult to treat it for that rea-
son. There have baen times when the growth
has been temporarily checked, but it has never
been arrested and is STEADILY increasing. There
has been considerable loss of tissue of the soft
palate. BE takes nourishment every day in
liquid form. He cannot eat solid food because
he has lost all his teeth. They were extracted
in the hope of casing the pain in his face. This
pain, although it resembles neuralgia, is not that
pain caused by cancer in the throat. He
has been suffering from severe pain
eose this his head is kept wrapped in hot fan
nels. l cannot saw how near the end is. He
may live months vet, as men suffering from this
disease have done; bat l do noo think there is
any hope that he will ever recover.
WASHINGTON, Special Telegram. Feb. 2S.-
Private letters received here confirms the
alarming news published by the Philadelphia
Times in regard to Gen. Grants health. He
is now recognized as an invalid, and his con-
dition is critical. He is confined to his
room, sees but few of his Oldest frinds, and
Is much broken and depressed IN spirits
DR.. DOUGLAS STATEMENT.
DR.. Douglas was asked tEis afternoon to
describe the condition of his patient. He
said:
Gen. Grant is a very sick man. His body and
hands are greatly cmaciated. and he Is losing
flesh daily. He cannot recover from the disease,
and his death is only u question OF time. He is
losing his grip on life, and has not the force and
energy to stand up against the many blows to
his strength. He may live for weeks or months.
The progress of the disease may be put in abey-
ance by natural forces, though at present 1t is
advancing rapidly. 1t is not likely that the can
Ger will choke him, it Will kill him by exhaust
ion. It is impossible to give HIM stimulants. as
first on Oct. % last and asked me to examine his
throat. 1 did so, and saw at once that he was
suffering. from q cancer. l did not wish to
had an epithelial trouble. He asked me If
it was not a cancer, and l told him
the disease was Of 4 cancerous character in a
mild form co1 l. probably ably arose arose from n ezf e. i've
been suffering with it since June !. I at ouce
told his family Of the nature of the disease. and
they know how serious the case is. l think the
of coming down to see me pretty much every
morning. The cancer continued to grow worse,
although its growth has not been steady. The
hardened part OF the cancer Is at tho root Of the
tongue on the right side. The liberation is on
the soft palate just above where the tonsils lie.
The loss of the teeth has prevented Gen: Grant
terrapin, and other soft food, and has no dith
Guilty in swallowing 1t. Indeed. he swal-
lows more resdily than he did two
fact that liberation has relaxed some OF
the membranes. He takes a good deal
Of nourishment, although he does not want to
appetite. The bad weather Of late has affected
him unfavorably. He caught a slight cold. The
cancer is what is called a benign cancer" and il
it were %nywhere else on the body, we could at
least hold 1t in allegiance. AS it is, an opera
ton would accomplish no good. 1t would
be quite impossible to cut it out from the root OF
the tongue. Within the past ten days there
mind has q great influence on such diseases, and
I believe that distress of mind caused by the
failure of the relief bill in congress injured the