The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-03-12

Els Condition Temporarily Improyed-The Patient
Cleerigl

C.eerigl.
During the past week Gen. Grants health
has been somewhat better. The great mental
and physical depression which followed the
refusal of Congress to place him on the Retired
List happily passed away on receipt Of the in
teiligence OF the action Of Congress re-
storing him TO his old rank in the Army
lie has been quite cheerful, and has
been at work several hours each day on his
military "reminiscences. On Friday last, how
ever he experienced somewhat of relapse
and passed sleepless night and Oh the follow
ing day his symptoms were not SO favorable.
On Sunday last, however Drs Barker, Doug
las, and Strady held consultation in which
they agreed that the patient was generally bet
ter. Although there is no likelihood of the old
Generals maiady proving fatal in the im!ne-
diate future, theie is still no doubt that before
q great while 1t will cause his death He is
fully aware OF that fact and is reported as say
ing that lac did not expect To live more than
30 days; but this, if correct, must have been
uttered in a moment of dependency.
His physicians state that the local throat
disease, while il gives the General trouble and
is annoying in many ways, is not the most dis
tressug condition in his case. That which
gives the present cause for alarm is the low
state of vitality and most depressing weak
ness that prevents the functions of the body
from being carried on normally. Under the
present state of affairs the body is not nour-
ishcG sufficiently TO replace the enormous waste
taking place constantly. Though lie takes
Eo:ne nourishment daily in the shape of con-
centrated food, yet on account Of the depressed
state Of the digestive organs it is not properly
sssimilated, aud much Of the strength that
should be derived from the food is lost AS
long as the Generals health remained good,
and under no other undermining influence
than the dise2ae Itself the attf nding physicians
seemed 10 lie able to hold the disease j II check
bat when he was thrown into a condition of
mental agitation and worry, melted by outside
occurrences of three weeks ago, there speedily
followed physical depression, and the local dis
ease suddenly became active and took on q
more angry appearance.
While the attending physician says that Gen.
Grant, disease is an epltheiOma and then con-
tinucs that the term cancer has not been used
IN connection with the case, it can only be said
that there is a desire that the public shall have
the impression that it is not cancer. But
this does not wipe out the fact that all epthe-
Iona is an epithclial cancer. This disease is
benign or mall grant. ia Gen. Grants case il
was thought for some time that the indications
pointed to benign condition, in which case ii
could have gone on for years without giving
much trouble and affecting the general
health but little. When the alterations APP
peared in the membrane TO the right Of the
root of the tongue, and were examined, they
showed the character Of the disease to be ma
lignant. After The formation of ulcers then
the process Of utilization begins and the
epithelium finds its way through the adjacent
connective tissue with more or less rapidity,
depending TO large degree upon the extent OF
existing exciting irritants. How far the infil-
tYation has extended ia Gen. Grants case can
lot be ascertained; and whether it is in the