, 1888-05-27
The Gravity of His Case No
Longer Concealed.
His Aged Mother Bound for
His Bedside,
The Family is Prepared For
the Worst.
SLOWLY SINKING.

way ZO.-Uen. DnCTl-
dams condition is extremely critical to-
night and death at any moment would not
be unexpected. He had a recurrence of
the heart trouble about 5 o'clock this af-
~ternoon, accompanied by a serious sinking
spell, which gave great alarm to his phys
icians, who Immediately toek prompt and
powerful measures to rally him. These
remedies have only given partial relief,
and at 1870 to night four physicians who
have been in attendance upon him are at
his side and anxiously watching every
symptom. The action of the heart is still
very feeble and has responded but imper-
fectly to the remedies administered. The
attack came almost without premonition,
a light feeling of faintness being the only
thing which warned the physicians that
the crisis might be at hand.
A PLEASANT DAY PASSED.
Up TO about ten minutes to 5 the Cen
eral had been doing very well and the
family were in cheerful spirits at his
strength and the interest in passing events
shown by the sick man. No symptom of
the occurrence of the failure of the valves
of the heart proper had appeared and as
the attacks OF the day previous occurred
in the morning it was hoped that he would
| QulChll IdllI dlu IhCu DCCOulC DGIUCI dDlG
to meet any further danger. As soon as
it became evident, however, that the val
| vular failure of the heart had again set in
thev saw that their cherished hopes of a
successful day would not be realized.
Everything possible was done for the
patient, but with only imperfect success.
Digitalis and whisky were administered
and finally a blister was put over the
heart. These applications stimulated the
heart to increased action, though not TO
| the extent it was desired. The blister was
not intended so much to counteract the
present attack as to prevent a subsequent
one. The generals return to the nearly
normal condition in which he has been
since his illness was slower than from any
| of his previous attacks, and the doctor
said of the attack: 1T was pretty severe"
At s o'clock he had recovered somewhat
from this attack and was getting compar-
atively better. He was still an object of
earnest solicitude. however, and the doc
tors did not leave his side.
Mrs. Sheridan also remained constantly
near. The attack was unaccompanied by
pain, and he was conscious and thoroughly
aware of the gravity of the situation.
A bulletin stating his condition was to
have been given to the press at $50
O'Clock, but owing to the extremely criti-
cal condition of the general it was not
issued until 10 o'clock. A few minutes
after that hour one of his aids stepped
out of the house on to the portico and
gave to the newspaper men who gathered
around him, the official statement of the
physicians. 1t reads:
II PHYSICIANS STATEMENT.
10 p. m.-Gen. Sheridan passed a COM
Portable day, took plenty of nourishment,
spoke cheerfully and hopefully and gener-
ally did well until ten minutes before 5
O'Clock this afternoon, when the action of
the heart became very feeble, from which
condition it has reacted imperfectly. At
this time he is suffering neither pain nor
distress. He thoroughly understands all
and his family have understood from the
beginning the gravity of the situation.
He is now, and has been, quite tranquil,
undismayed and hopeful for the best
MORE cIRCUMsTANTIAL.
One of Gen. Sheridan's aids said to day
that false reports in regard to the gen
erals condition had been given out be.
cause the general has a horror of
being considered i'll. 1t was thought
by members of his family Monday that
his illness was only temporary and that
there was no necessity for alarm. Gen.
Sheridan has suffered a severe attack be-
fore this but it was passed off as. ''indi-
gestion." This time he has had three
serious crisis before the present one, and
the first Monday night, when a priest was
called to his bedside to administer the
last sacrament, again Thursday night and
again Yesterday morning.
THE LAST MENTIONED
created the greatest alarm. 1t so nearly
proved fatal that he might have died at
any moment. He rallied, however, and
then he had many spells of heart trouble.
This grew less as the day wore on. The
nature of the disease precludes the posi-
hility of the patient living in bed and he
is forced to get what sleep he does sitting
in a chair. A corps of army surgeons
are in constant attendance, taking upon
themselves the duties of nurses. Every
point of attack is
WATCHED WITH DEVOTED CARE.
Surgeon General Moore, Drs. O'Reilly,
O'Birne, Matthews and Garrow are in
attendance. a sister of charity from
Providence hospital aids in the sick cham
Der, and Mrs. Sheridan is almost con.
stantly by the bedside. There is no reason
to doubt that Gen. Sheridan realizes his
critical condition, for yesterday morning
he made his will. He expressed his earn.
est desire to see his aged mother, who
still lives where she has lived for over
fifty years, in the little town of Somerset,
Q. The old lady is Fastening to the bed
side of her son by the fast train.
WASHINGTON, May 26.-3:45 D. m.-
Gen. Sheridan slept about an hour since
the 10 O'Clock bulletin, when he awoke
and was given a little milk. He was
slightly restless, but has qrieted down and
seems inclined to dozc off to sleep again.
There has been no change in his condi-
ton. The action of his heart is not per
ceptibly stronger than when the 10 o'clock
bulletin was issued, nor has there been
any recurrence of the cessation of its