, 1885-03-06
THE WARRIORS HEALTH
Facts About Gen. Grants Pres
ent Condition.
His Speedy Death Not at all
Probable.
Unsatisfactory and Vague
News from England.
Cen. arant,s Condition.

AtctOIu VIII SLY ho-hiOitohs III VIC" VI
recent developments in Gen. Grants con-
dition, the Records bulletin Of two weeks
ago, so largely quoted by the press Of the
country, requires some explanation. 1t is
fair to state that the facts at that time
presented by the Medical Record were
founded on the best authority, that of DR..
Fordyce Barker, attending physician of
Gen. Grant, and this explanation is mani
fest in the following note:
"a EAST THRTY-E EIGHTH STREET:
DEAR DocroR:-The statement which 1
made to you was literally true at the time
l made it and | am certain DR.. Douglas
would have then made precisely the same.
l saw DR.. Douglas last evening and he
then said what l had told you was exactly
what he should have said at hat time.
But Monday, after l saw you, the action
Of congress had a most distressing effect
on Gen. Grant, his vital powers suddenly
broke down and the local malady speedily
assumed a new aspect. The newspapers
accounts have been greatly exaggerated,
and we have never anticipated any such
speedy termination as they have indicated.
/ do not believe DR.. Douglass ever used
the word cancer" in connection with the
case. We have always spoken Of it as
epithelioma, offs malignant type. prob
ably. It was greatly improved for a time
by the local treatment of DR.. Douglas and
the local condition was manifestly improv-
ing until the moral shock broke down his
general system. (Signed)
FoRDYcE BARKER.
Wednesday noon, March 4. 1885.
IL ia a matter of deep regret that the
grave suspicious entertained Of the serious
nature of Gen. Grants disease are CON
6rmed by the diagnosis of the epithelioma
of tongue and fauces. This disease, the
name of which is now perhaps heard of
by the general public for the first time,
assumes importance as TO its study which
il could never otherwise obtain. Conse-
q~uently the daily papers are educating
the people with regard to it, so that the
terms ep~ithelioma. malignancY and infl-
%tration, will be as well understood IS in
former times were those of suppuration,
pus, track and bullet cysis. As might
have been anticipated, under the circum-
stances, the published reports of the
generals condition are very much exag-
gerated. The disease is by no means as
extensive as is generally believed. In
fact the alterations, small in extent, are
limited to the right pillars Of the fauces.
the anterior one being perforated
at its base. Adjoining the right
side Of the root of the tongue it
is indurated TO a slight extent, as is also
the neighboring gland under the angle of
the Jaw on the right side of the neck.
The roof of the mouth. along the line Of
hard palate, and to the right of the medi-
an line, contains three small warty-like
excrescences which show a tendency to-
ward ell-proliferation. The epiglottis
is free from any abnorinality, as are all
other parts of the throat. Although in
duration Of the tongue has existed
more or less since last fall, when the
patient was seen by DIR. Douglas.
the alterations have appeared quite re-
Gently. 1t was during their progress that
the general suffered from pain in the
ear, which has now been entirely relieved
by a local application of four per cent
solution Of cocoainc. Under the same
treatment all pain in deglutition is now
entirely controlled and the patient is kept
in a very comfortable state. The pulse,
which is normally sixty per minute, occa-
sionally reaches eighty beats; bodily tenn
perature, normal; appetite, fair, which is
saying everything in its favor, as the gem
eral is not a hearty eater. His bodily
| condition is, however, much below par
and is more to be considered at present
than the local disease. The treatment Of
the case has been judiciously conservative
from the start. The fluid extract Of
cocoa has been administered internally and
iodoform is busted upon the alterations.
Contrary to the general impression, the
tongue itself is not liberated, nor has it
been as far as we can learn at anytime
during the progress Of the decease. The
troublesome tooth, said to have been .ex-
tracted for the relief of the lingual ulcera-
taon, was on the opposite or sound side Of
the mouth, and was removed to relieve
the persistent ache of the left ear.
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