The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-29
DR.. Newman's Relations to the Household
Criticism of the Attending Physicians
Not the Slightest Hope of Cure.
The Treatment of Miss Van Zandt by
the Venal Critics of the Paris Press.
The Real Cause of the Singers Troubles Said
to be Tight Lacing-Stcele Mackaye's
New and Unique Theater.
RELIGIOUS AND MEDICAL.

RELIGIOUS AND MEDICAL.
General Grants Spiritual Condition-Criti-
cism of His Doctors.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
NEw YORK, March 28. Considerable Of the
anxiety regarding Gen. Grant by some of his
relatives and intimate friends relates to his
spiritual preparation for death. The daily pres
encs in the household OF the Rev. DR.. Newman,
and his ngstanding intimacy with the patient,
is construed as placing him in the position of a
missionary devoted to the special purpose of con-
verting his friend. Being asked by the Journal
correspondent for statement of Grants exact
religious condition, DR.. Newman replied II
know that the family fully appreciates the
kindly attentions Of the press touching the char
acter and conditions of the General, and what
you propose to write would be grateful to them,
but am inclined to think, with them, that the
time has not come for such an article. A reason
able Interpretation Of that would be that Grant
has not yet been stirred from his position of
trusting to the goodness OF God for bis future,
without trying to form explicit doctrines, or
to excite himself to any fervor. Family
prayers are now held by DIR. Newman-a thing
tempts at every seemly opportunity to turn the
conversation into religious channels; but it can
not be said that Grant evinces any other senti-
ment than profound gravity. He talks readily
about his physical plight and the nearness of
the end but is not at all responsive to the clergy
mans labor on behalf of his soul. The rumor
that Newman has become:a spiritualst, based
on sermon of his in San Francisco, wherein
he declared his behalf in the ministrations of
spirits, has disturbed some of Grants orthodox
friends, who are thereby led to doubt his sound
ness for the task which he seems to have under
taken. Newman himself asserts his utter
lack Of sympathy with spiritualism. He says
that he ID still good Methodist, in spite of the
harshneas with which some of the leaders of that
denomination have treated him since his tenn
porary withdrawal from his conference when
he accepted the pastorate of the independent
church of the Disciples-an enterprise in which
he had the hearty support of the Grants.
There is no lack, either, of criticism as to the
professional men who have the Generals disease
in charge. There are four of them, all of ex
celent repute among allopaths and one is a
specialist in cancers, while another is distin-
guished as a surgeon. AS in the case of Garfield,
there is likely to be an afterclap of the now con-
cealed differences of opinion among the skilled
advisers; but this lack of entire harmony does
not relate to the question whether the knife
ought to be used in the forlorn hope of extirpat
ing the cancer Each of the four says posi-
lively that, in the low condition of the patients
strength and the degree to which the cancer has
spread, surgical operation is not to be thought
of for an instant 1t is not so clear,
however, that such heroic treatment might
not we'll have been resorted to earlier, when
there was simply hard lump at the root of the
tongue. Last summer, at Long Branch the
noted Philadelphia surgeon, Dr. w. Fl. Pancoast,
who was spending the season at the seashorc,
was called in to look at the trouble He pro-
nounced it a cancer, and said that it ought to be
removed Other counsel prevailed. however,
and the cancer was left to develop On the other
hand, DR.. Fordyce Barker, who is as big in New
York as Pancoast is in Philadelphia, firmly holds
that surgery would even then have been need
Jess cruelty. AS matter of fact, the treatment
has been solely directed to keeping the patient
comfortable, and without the shadow of hope
of cure One of the many advocates of the
knife in this case is DR.. Thomas Dunn English,
the author, who had a tumor removed from his
throat two weeks ago. He wrote to Dr. Doug
las, counseling such course not as a possible
curative, but fors the relief OF the General
when the time comes, as soon it must
that agony will succeed the present
quietude. AS to that proposition DR.. Douglass
says that the proposed operation would include
the cutting out of the entire tongue, along with
the palate and much of the walls of the throat
an amount of mangling which, were the subject ro-
bust, would cause months of suffering before re-
covery, and in the present case might very likely
kill Immediately. Philadelphia and New York are
at medical loggerheads, anyhow, and Pancoast
and Barker are each in the faculty of rival coll
leges.
On Friday next the first months pay of Grant
as a retired General under the act of Congress,
the signing of which was Arthur's last official act
as President, will be payable at the United
States Treasury in this city. The sum will be
slips The family also has 81 $50 month in
interest from the fund which was raised and in
vested for Grant four years ago. The aggre-
gate will not meet their expenses, because they
have lost the fine house in which they live and
are compelled to pay rental for it.
MARIE VAN ZANDT.
The Shameful Treatment of the Singer by
tho Su.~ of