, 1885-04-16
FACTS ABOUT GRANT.
The Doctors Endorse the Daily
Bulletins.
The First Plain Description of
the Disease.
MOrphia May Keep Him Alive
Several Months.
Faots Ahout Cen. arant.


NEW YoRK. April l5.-When DIR.
Shrady left Gen. Grants house after the
consultion to-day. he said in answer to a
question that the general condition of the
pa lent was improved.
How do you account for this steady
improvement" was asked.
THE generals bad attacks have beer
caused by complications associated with
the usual progress of the disease" was
the answer. They have been overcome
for the present, and of course he is bet
ter. The temporary irritation of the
throat has been relieved, and the result is
what the bulletins have stated
'And do the bulletins state every
thing9" was asked.
''The bulletins deal with the plain facts
of the case and with facts only" respond
ed DIR. Shrady.
During the consultation this afternoon
Gen. Grant said to his physicians: ''The
doctors outside, | am informed, are writ
ing about my case and talk
ing about it. and some of them
seem to think they know more
about it than you gentlemen do; but it is
like times of war, when men at home
think they know more about it and how
to do it than the generals who are on the
field fighting"
Soon after his throat was dressed this
morning Gen. Grant said, in remarking
upon his improved condition, that he
thought he would get well. That the
public may be enabled to thoroughly I'M
derstand the case as it is and to form a
reliable opinion, the following absolute
facts are given as a basis for public and
personal judgment;
Gen. Grant is not greatly emaciated
about the body, although he has lost some
flesh, but how much cannot be told, as he
has not been weighed in some time. His
face is not much changed, hut it has a
careworn appearance. The gland is swol-
len on the right side, and the swelling out
side varies more or less as there is more or
less swelling on the inside. The glandular
swelling has at no time been larger than a
hens egg, and from that down to the size
of a pigeons egg. 1t is located at the
angle Of the right jaw, and has
never entirely disappeared since
it came some months ago.
The swelling is due, first, to
the irritation of the growth, and finally
to the progress of the disease in the glands
themselves. There is no positive evidence
at present that the glands have become
actively diseased, though the presumption
is that they are diseased. The disease
does not extend to nor affect any of the
processes of the generals ear. There is
some danger of that; a possibility, but
not a probability, at present. 1t is not
going in that direction. The disease is
spreading very gradually backwards into
the back part of the throat and behind
the palate. 1t has communicated some
what to the back part of the nose in front
of and above the palate. There is no
lump on the tongue, 1t is an ulcer away
back on the side of the tongue, a small
ulcer. 1t has never been shown to its
whole extent, but it is n small ulcer irreg-
ular in shape, and from a quarter to half
an inch in diameter. In cases
of epitheloma there is not a lump;
it is an ulcer. There is a
discharge from the liberated surface.
The discharge is composed Of mucus, a
broken down tissue and some little matter,
in other words, it is muco-pus. This
exudes from an liberated surface that in
cludes the palate at the back part of the
throat and right side of the tongue.
There is a chance for the general improve
ment of the patient by the temporary
arrest of the disease. The atmosphere of
the mountains or of the west would, in
fair weather, be better for the general
than the salt air of the seaboard. In all
generous cases in the throat there are
complications of irritation about the
throat which might be called accidents
ofthe disease; and it is these complica-
tons that have given the trouble, rather
than the steady progress of the disease.
In this case these complications are !:
Swelling of the throat, increase of infa-
nation, spasm, hemorrhage and an in
creased flow of mucus. Six drops or
minims of morphia are given each
tw~enty-four hours, inst enough to
control pain and induce sleep.
Without morphia the pain would
at times be unbearable.
The general takes for food from one to
two tumblerfuls of mixture Of beef extract
and egg and milk every two to four
hours night and day. He relished a
little clam broth yesterday as much as he
relishes anything. The general usually
r%eclines in his chair attired in knitted
underwear; on his feet knitted wool
moccasins, a dark brown dressing gown,
trimmed with silk and belted with a
heavy cord; over his lap is spread a silk
and satin quilt filled with down, while
upon his head he wears a silk cap which
he has long worn to protect his head from
attacks of neuralgia. DIR. Douglas will
remain with the general tonight and a
consultation will be held at . p. m. to-
morrow.
.Buehu-PaIba.r