Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-04-24
sslHr AND THE DOCTORS.


al Grant, whatever the ultimate
result Of his Affections, has given
his friends, and they seem to EN-
brace all the American people, save
General Early, sincere pleasure oy
wonderful display Of recuperatlve
power. Almost as much as in the
case of President Garfield, the al
formations in Grants case have
been watched by the American
public, although the pathetic inter
est has been Of a different charac-
ter. The Northern press notes with
much reciprocal warmth the affec'
tomato solicitude Of the South for
Grant, aud emphasizes Jubal Ear
ly's growing only as bringing out
In holder relief the manly utter
ances of Lees surviving veterans.
But the public has not failed to
keep its eye upon the doctors en-
ployed in General Grants case, and
whether the old hero shall live or
die soon, his physicians will receive
no tender criticism. The public
has not forgotten the butchery Of
poor Garfield, during the eighty
days Of his misery, by the "eminent
physicians and "illustrious Sci
entists,r who furnished lying bulle-
tins every day, and yet 10 the end
were proven not to know on which
side Of the body Of the sufferer the
bullet had rested. Whatever the
present week may bring about as
10 General Grant, the public and
the Generals family have had an
interval Of hope. AS for the doc.
tors they are ostentatiOusly parad'
ing the unity of their theories as
to the case, and appear determined
to demonstrate that doctors do not
always necessarily differ. And
wen may they stand by each other,
in this as In other cases, for such
unity and cooperation will help
themselves as we'll as their profes-
sion, to public confidence now
much needed for the welfare Of the
medical profession.
AS there is not one chance in a
thousand Of curing cancer or cpl
thelioina, the skeptical public is
disposed to regard this intimation
that the General may recover as
frst step to confession further on,
that the doctors have not till now
known what was the matter with
him, and have been treating him
for the wrong disease. Ex-senator
Chaffee, who was among the first
to give out the idea that what Gen.
Grant is suffering from is after all
only q bad case Of liberated sore
throat, is anxious, however, that
hislangasge shall not be construed
into reflection upon the sagacity
of the physicians. He denies en-
phatically that he meant to say
"the doctors did not know what
was the matter with the General"
He meant only that "they might
be mistaken in their diagnosis.'-
The distinction is fine, but it lie one
with which the Generals friends
will not Quarrelif it turns out to be
the echo Of professional statements
that indicate a disposition to prefer
the life of the patient to the main
tenance Of a cherished theory.
Il may soon be demonstrated that
the confidence in his recovery re-
Gently expressed BY Genral Grant
and bis family, who, at the first OF
the present week, we're discussing
various places of resort to which
he might be carried, in their judg-
ment, with benefit, was not justified
by the probabilities Of the case
The majority Of the medical profes'
sion adhere to the original diagno-
sis, and affirm that microscopic
studies Of the diseased tissue dem
constrate its correctness. In their
view the present recovery is only
apparent. Irritation has been al
lsyed BY the dislodgmeut of the
hardened discharges from the can
Ger, bot this cleansing Of the throat
they hold, only insures a more de
struotive progress Of the disease
hereafter. They hold to the altern
Atives,thst the General has cpl
theIioma, or else the doctors have
"a been w0rkingin the dark for eigh
q teen centuries"
The New York Sun, taking th'
view that Grant has never haC
cancer, and that he is likely to re
cover, suggests the horror will
which himself and family must lOol
back to the possible results Of al
incorrect diagnosis of his diseas'
By his doctors.
or'l About a month ago, when BIZ
attending physicians had full.
made mp their minds that q canoe
was eating up his tongue and fauces
o consultation was held to discus
1.-The sdyisabiIity and expediency o
resOrting to desperate measure o
temporary relief. 1t was proposes
to perform. . surgical operation
which DIR. Shrady TINS described il
giving q report OF the consultation
In the Medical Record Of March Fl
"Such a measure would invOlv
the division Of the lower jaw in th
median line, the extirpation Of th
~ entire tongue and the greater par
of the soft palate. together with th