The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-03-27
GENERAL GRANTS CONDITION..
Two Leading Medical Journals Give Re-
ports and Comments upon the Generals
Condition.

Two Leading Medical Journals Give Re-
ports and Comments upon the Generals
Condition.
New York, March 19.-Aftor 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 keep the printers busy
three days. When l left him to-nlghthe was in
cllned to sleep. The patients throat looks bet
ter this evening. 1t has not the angry appear
anceit has had. There was a 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-
ton that renders the general wakeful
NOR MEDICAL o.
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 DR.. Fordyce Barker was
nnavoidably absent Drs. J. II. Douglas,
Henry B. Sands and George F. Shrady, who
were present, made a thorough examination of
the generals throat with a view of discussing
the eXpediency of a surgical operation for the
removal of the growth. Such a measure would
involve the division of the lower jaw in the
median line, the extirpatiOn of the entire ton que
and the greater part of the soft palate, to-
gether with the removal of the liberated
and infiltratad fauces and indurate! CLAN
Qular structures under the right an clio 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 neighbour
hood IF rho N 1nrotiDn :. h1t -, Tho IoSk ntnra.+a
Of the distinguished patient the surgeons did
not feel inclined to recommend the 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
m"cs c1fooSioG Ills vital power is SO low
mat 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
iltolerable pain reported with that condition:
but should the latter symptoms appear it may
be advised to divide the gustatory nerve. The
general tone of the patients system remains
abO4t the same as at lastIepoTts, nOtwithstand-
ing he has suffered much from insomnia. The
latter, within the last day or two, has L. Il kept
under control by suitable anOdynes. Inere is
no pain in swallowing, and sufficient food is
taken with reasonable relish.
A PHILADELPHIA CONTRIBUTION.
The Philadelphia Medical News this week
will say editorially, concerning the disease
from which Gen. Grant is suffering:
Llngual aplthelloma, as q 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
i've to thirteen months, the average being sew
en- months. Death ensues first from g~enerall-
cation OF the disease; secondly, from the in
halation of putrid carnations, which result
from decomposition of the products of the Ill
cerated surface; third, from starvation through
the pressure of infiltrated lymphatic glands
and surrounding parts upon the esophagus,
thereby interfering with deglutition; and
lastly from hemorrhage proceeding
from liberated lingual 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
reference prolong life and relieve suffering.
but 1t effects a cure in IA per cent of all cases.
In obtaining these results it must be remem-
bered that the ~incIsion Of the tongue is attend
ed with a mortality of % per cent, the prin-
cipal dangers being the shock, h~emorrhage,
ndima of the CLOTHS, septic lung affections,
picatumone, or erysipelas-some of which risks
can be avoided by taking careful precautions
during the operation 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
prognosls is far more grave-whether the dis
ease shall be permitted to pursue an unaided
course or whether ii shall be subjected to the
knife. In the latter event not only will the
tongue have to be extirpated, but disease OF
The palate and tonsils have to be reached. So
far as we can learn, there is no example of the
performance of a double operation on record,
anditis, in our opinion, not justifiable.
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