The Portland daily press., 1885-03-02
GHN. GRANT.
GEN. GRANT.
Pathetic Story of His Illness and
Sufferings.
Physicians Say that he Cannot Re-
cover.

NEW York, Feb. 2S.-Gen. Grant must die
painfully within three months, and IL will be
mercy if his sufferings are shortened by an
earlier end. His hopeless case is thus describ-
cd by DIR. j. H. Douglass his physician: THE
assertions in the afternoon papers that | have
given the General up to die are true. De has
a cancer at the root of the tongue, and the de-
nial Of that sad fact, lately sent out By medi-
cal journal for an advertising purpose, had no
foundation. We who have had charge of him
professionally came to the conclusion weeks
ago that he conld not recover, and little later
the members Of his family were informed of
oar opinion. The General himself knew too,
that the matter was growing serious ;but il was
not until late this afternoon that he was ex
plicitly told 80.
AT consultation Of physicians on Feb. 18th
there was no disagreement as TO the trouble in
his throat being genuine cancer. He then
came to understand the gravity Of his condi-
ton, though he did not demand or get the di-
rect information that he must speedily die. l
think that be secretly thought 30, however, for
since then he has strenuously endeavored TO
get ahead as fast as possible in the writing of
his history OF the war. In an endeavof to COM
plete this work he has overtasked his strength,
but his will was stronger than tho influence Of
his advisers. The two volumes are SO nearly
done that with the help OF notes dictated by
him, his sons can do what little remains. 1t
has seemed as though he sought forgstfulness
OF himself in the labor. Then oRt came the lie
in tbs medical Journal, saying that [ had pro-
nounced his disease durable He read it, be-
leved 1t, and began to write eight hours day
in g sudden access of faucied strength. | did
not have the heart to tell him of the faIsty OF
the report but tried to gradually awaken him
30 the truth.
As the cancer is at the root of the tongue,
where it inter:eres with his swallowing, and
will stop sustentation by food, hardly ANYTHING
can be done to prolong his life. 1t is possible
for him to live three months, but he is likelier
to die within as many weeks. His bulle og
tenacty has lasted WE'LL but row he is sadly
broken down. He has slept very little during
the past week, aud is ia constant pain. All
his teeth have been extracted in the hope of
relieving the aching of his mouth. His palate
is partially gone from the diseases attack, and
he speaks only in a feeble whisper, Speaking,
eating, even breathing ezcites the cancerou5
growth and causes great pain, which resembles
severe neuralgia, and is felt all through thu
head. To alleviate this he is kept wrapped
in warm fannels
The history of the case begins with a small
sore at the root of the tongue last summer at
Long Branch. Excessive use of cigars may
have been an Indictment, but not the primal
cause. He had previously been run down
by various complaints. He had 80 hurt his nip
10 fall the previous winter that he has never
since walked without cane. He had suffered
from pleuro-pneumonia, which left him weak
and he was further debilitated by boils and
fever sores, so that he had no resisting power
when cancer developed. II anything else was
needed to utterly break him down 1t came in
mental worry over the Grant, ard misfortune
which lost his properly, and, as he felt reflect
cd on his reputation"
Beside DR.. Douglass, who calls twice daily,
DR.. FordYee Barker is in attendance and
other medical men are ia constant copsalts-
ton. They agree that nothing can be done.
The general has not cared whether Congress
plaesd him on the retired list or not. Bot he
did wish to hurry the settlement Of the Ward
matter, so aa to see if something conld not be
saved for his wife ont of the wreck, aud be
also favored the acceptance of Wander bilt's
offer TO purchase bis trophies His anxiety to
finish the var history probably is as much due
to the pecuniary results as to a desire oi
rcsthamous fase. BE knew that the book
you'd surely net heavy return, and ressS b
iish a considerable fortune for Mrs. Grant, HS
has made new will since his illness and the
Ward failure.
LATER.
NEW YORK, March 1. AT midnight Gen
Grants condition was reported TO be unchaug
ed. The General was up during the day a
usual, bat his physicians and friends hsv'
given up all hops of his recovery. His doctors
say he is gradually sinking. There were man!
callers at his house to-day.