The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-03-06
GENERAL GRANT.
His Doctor States that he May Not
Live More than Six Months.
Suffering from an Inourables Cam
Ger of the Throat.

Recent favorable reports which were made
public in New York regarding General Grants
"ealth prove to have been erroneous The
disease from which he is suffering is a cancer
at the root of the tongue, brought on by ex-
cess in smoking. Its earliest symptoms were
developed while the ex-President was at
Long Branch last summer; and at first he
paid little attention to the trouble, thinking
1t only severe cold. An examination made
by DIR. Douglass, a New York specialist in
cancer diseases, showed the true nature of
the trouble, and since then he has been almost
continually under the care of physicians.
The house at No. 3 East Sixty-sixth street
New York, where General Grant lives. has
been overrun with visitors anxious to learn
the truth as to his condition. To reporter
Colonel Frederick Grant said "My father is
very sick man. There is no use in longer
denying the fact. We have made every eff
fort to keep the true facts from the public,
because we knew that as soon as it should be-
come known that he was dangerously i'll,
there would be hundreds of letters coming in
with every mail, and this would only excite
him and make his cure less hopeful The doc
tors who are attending him are DR.. Fordyce
Barker, DR.. j. II. Douglas, and DIR. II. b.
Sands of this city, and DR.. J. NJ. Marloe, of
Philadelphia
DR.. Dougas made the following statement
to a reporter:
General Grant is very sick man. AS
soon as | saw his throat | was confident rs to
the nature of the disease, but | told him that
it was di, ease of AN epitheial character.
l did not enlarge upon its true nature, as [
did not want to alarm him. Its fatal charac-
Ger was convinced of at the start, and so
informed the Generals family think there
is little or no hope of his recovery His grip
and energy are nearly gone, and he cannot
resist the encroachment of the disease. He
has no desire for food, but forces himself to
take it by his indomitable will Smoking
was the exciting cause of this cancer, though
there have been many contributing causes
since When he first came to me he had a
severe pain i'll his left ear. He had bad
tooth that | ordered to be removed He af-
forward had a number of other teeth taken
out that rendered him unable to use his false
teeth, and all his food had to he prepared for
him He cats terrapn, chopped meats
and liquid nouri>hment but it is a con,
slant struggle TO swallow, as he had no APP
petite. The general nsistel upon coming to
my Office for treatment, as he said he wanted
to get the air | told him / was sorry when
he came last Monday, us the day was raw
and chilly. He caught a severe cold then
and his symptoms took alarming charac-
ter. On February IS | observed a perfora-
ton of a fold of the membrane which con-
stltutes the border of the tonsillar cavity.
where the cancer had eaten through the It's
sue was alarmed, and the next day Drs
Sands, larkoe, Barker and myself held a
consultation / had been alarmed all the
time that have been treating the general:
50 this rapid spread of the disease did not
surprise me. The cancer is still eating
through the tissue and i'll time will create
a large hollow space eXten ling upward
in the roof of the mouth If the
cancer were anywhere else it could he cut out
If 1t was confined to the tongue could be re
moved. No operation has been performed
and in all probability there will be none The
alterations are just above the root of the
tongue, on the soft palate. and are rapidly
extending. Since the bill for General Grants
relief i'll Congress failed the disease has been
making great Roadway On February 20, the
day after the consultation, a rosy report APP
peared in medical journal about the gen
eral case, that conveyed the idea that he was
all right and would soon be well. The gen
erals family saw 1t and We're elated, thinking
that it was the report of the consulting phv-
sclans. 1t was, however, entirely false. The
mind has vast effect on the progress of
this disease. Anything that will buoy
up his spirits will prolong his life, ana
II everything was arranged now in
Congress 1t would probably have this result
lie talks and swallows better now than he
did two months ago, because the liberation
has loOsaned some of the binding muscles. He
slept quite anumber of hours last night He
cannot take any alcoholic stimulant because
of its irritating effect. Cocaine relieves his
throat and enables him to sleep The General
has been quite cheerful all along lie has
played whist every evening with lis family.
On Wednesday night he suffered great deal
of pain in the right ear and did not sleep
until near morning. He was easier during
THURSDAY and slept quite well at night On
Friday night he was comfortable and did not
have the usual paroXysm in the throat.
81 do not think he can recover and have
not thought so since ! first saw him His
physical exhaustion is very great and in
crossing, though not sufficient to conflne him
to bed Warm tannels are kept on his head
TO relieve the pain. His face has not changed
much in appearance, but his body and hands
are much emaciated He is gradually grow
ing weaker and losing flesh He is anxiou,
and worried now and has lost his usual cheer
fulness, though his mind remains clear. He
delights in his literary work, and takes adj
vantage OF every moment to work on his
book His death will be caused bv physical
exhaustion. 1t may come in three months
or sooner, but do not believe he can live he
yond six months. / have known similar
cases where the patient has died suddenly
even when their condition was comfortable"