River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-03-26
GENERAL GRANTS ooxDrr1oH.
Two Leading Medical Journals Give r..
| ports ana Comments upon the Generals
| Condition


Two Leading Medical Journals Give RI
| ports ana Comments upon the Generals
Condition.
New York, March f9-After his visit to Gen
Grant tonight Dr. Douglas said
The general slept seven hours continuously
| last night He was very well through the day.
He asked for roast mutton, and ate it during
the afternoon and evening. The general revised
enough of his books to seep the printers busy
three days. When left him tonight he wasin-
cllned to sleep. The patients throat looks bet
ter this evening It has not the angry appear
anee it has had. There was catarrahal diff
| Guilty in the morning that caused gagging, but
| no bad results. Cocaine is not now being used,
and there is no pain There is mental occupa-
1 ton that renders the general wakefuL
MORE MEDICAL LORE
| The following will appear in the Medical
| Record on Saturday:
/ During the past week the local disease of
Gen Grant has shown no marked tendency
/ toward progressing liberation At the recent
/ weekly consultation DIR. FordYce Barker was
unayoidably absent Drs. J. IL Douglas,
| Henry B. Sands and George f. Shrady, who
| were present, made thorough examination of
the generals throat with view of discussing
| the expedieney of surgical operation for the
| removal of the growth. Such a measure would
| involve the division of the lower jaw in the
median line, the extirpaton of the entire tom que
| and the greater part of the soft palate, to-
| gether with the removal of the liberated
| and infiltrated fauces and indurated CLAN
dular structures under the right angle OF
| the lower jaw. This was considered mechan-
| ically possible, despite the close proximity
| and probable involvement of tissues adjoining
the large arteries and veins in the neighbor-
| hood of the liberation; but the bestinterests
| of the distinguished patient the surgeons did
| not feel inclined to recommend tho procedure
| Even by such means there could be no guaran-
| tee in view of the extensive surrounding in
/ filtration, that the limits of the disease would
| be reached without immediate risk to the life
| by a severe shock to the constitution already
much enfeebled. His vital power is SO low
| that for the present, at least no kind
| of operation will be undertaken The
| liberation on the side of the tongue has not
progressed far enough to produce the usual
| intolerable pain reported with that condition;
| but should the latter symptoms appear it may
be advised to divide the gustatorv nerve. The
! general tone of the patients system remains
| about the same as at lastIeports, notwithstand-
| ing he has suffered much from insomnia The
| latter within the last day or two has been kept
under control by suitable anodynes. There Is
| no pain in swallowing, and sufficient food Is
| taken with reasonable relish.
PHILADELPHIA CONTRIBUTION
The Philadelphia Medical News this week
| will say editoriallv, concerning the disease
| from which Gen Grant is suffering:
Lingual apithelioma, as rule, rapidly pro-
| crosses toward fatal termination when left to
itself. The life of tho patient from the first
| appearance of the disease varies in accordance
| with the estimates of different observers from
| five to thirteen months, the average being sew
| en- months. Death ensues first from generall-
| cation OF the disease; secondly, from the in
| halation of putrid emanations, which result
| from decomposition of the products of the NJ
| cerated surface; third, from starvationt through
| the pressure of infiltrated Emphatic glands
| and Surrounding parts upon the 9sophagus,
| thereby interfering with degluttion and
| lastly from hemorhage proceeding
| from liberated hngual arteries or
vessels of the neck. The duration of the life
| of those who survive an operation averages
| nineteen months. Not only does operative in
| terference prolong life and relieve suffering,
but it effects cure in IA per cent of all cases.
| In obtaining these results it must be remem-
| bered that the incison of the tongue is attend
| ed with a mortality of % per cent. the prin-
| cipal dangers being the shock hemorrhage,
oedima of the CLOTHS, septic lung affections,
/ picatumone or erysipelas-sOme of which risks
| can be avoided by taking careful precautions
| during desperation and by perfecting antisep-
| tic measures during and after the procedure.
| When IN addition to disease of the tongue it.
| self, the palate and tonsiis are involved, and
| prognosis is far more grave-whether the dis
| ease shall be permitted to pursue an unaided
/ course or whether it shall be subjected to the
| knife In the latter event not only will the
| tongue have to be extirpated but disease oil
| the palate and tonsils have to be reached Sc
| far as we can learn, there is no example of the
| performance of double operation on record,
anditis, In our opinion, not lustltiable.