Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-10
DRS. BLISS AND BAXTER.
Their Quarrel During President Gar
fields Fatal Illness Recalled.


fields Fatal Illness Recalled.
HEARING BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON
DR. BLISS CLAIM FOR ADDITIONAL coMPENsA-
TIoN-AFFIDAvIT OF Oh. RKYBuRx-DR. BAXTER
CALLED DIR. BLISS LIAR ar
The Senate committee on claims gave hear
ing yesterday to DIR. d. W. Bliss, who, was
physician in charge Of President Garfield dur
ing his long illness. There is an unexpended
balance Of about $4,000 yet available for use
in recompensing the medical and other attend
ants upon the President during that critical
period. The doctor argues that he was never
properly peid for his services He was placed
in charge of the case by Secretary Lincoln,
and through all the weary weeks and months
he gave up his entire time to the treatment Of
the President; he personally washed the Presi-
dents wounds and also prepared and gave all
the food the President partook of. His -four
ishing practice was completely broken up, and
in addition to this he suffered much from I'M
just and malicious criticism, and vet he only
received sc, 500 for his services. The amounts
paid Drs. Reyburn, Hamilton, and Agnew we're
Tar below the value of their services.
DIR. REYBURN's AFFIDAVIT.
Among the many affidavits introduced was
the following, put in by DIR. Bliss to place on
record the conduct of Dr. Baxter:
District Of Columbia. County of Washington,
S.: Personally appeared before me, a notary
public in and for the District of Columbia.
Robert Reyburn, practicing physician and
surgeon, who deposes and says: That he was
by selection, one of the surgeons in temporary
service with the late James A. Garfield, Presi-
dent of the United States, and was one of the
permanent counsel of the President until the
arrival at Elberon, September 6, 1881. That
soon after the consultation on the morning of
July 3, he was advised that the President had
requested DR.. Bliss to take charge of his case,
and that Mrs. Garfield gave her cheerful
acquiescence. That the President had re-
quested DIR. Bliss to select his permanent coun-
sci. That in view of this request he had
selected Surgeon-General Barnes, U. s. A.;
Surgeon ]. ]. Woodward, U. s. A., and myself
such counsel, and that he was commissioned by
the President and Mrs. Garfield to thank the
corps OF volunteer surgeons for their kind and
valuable assistance in conducting the case thus
far.
DR.. Bliss requested that remain and assist
him as might be necessary until Gen. Barnes
and DIR. Woodward were notified of their selec-
ton and reported for duty, when we would
hold consultation and arrange definite plans
for the future. DIR. Bliss then requested me
to take a seat by the table and write at his die
tation, the form of a letter to be copied and
sent to each of the corps of volunteer physi-
clans. thanking them in the name of President
and Mrs. Garfield for their valuable services.
DIR. Bliss took recumbent position upon the
sofa in the ROOM and about this time DIR. J. H.
Baxter, the medical purveyor of the army, ap-
peared at the door. DR.. Bliss greeted him
pleasantly and requested him to take a seat,
which he did, at the foot of the sofa upon
which the doctor was lying. DR.. Baxter then
spoke to DIR. Bliss as follows:
bliss, l want to see the President"
DIR. Bliss exhibited some surprise at such an
unusual and unprofessional request, and re-
piled to DIR. Baxter as follows: why, doctor.
1t would not be proper for me to take you to
the bedside of the President at this time; he has
been vomiting as often every thirty minutes
during the night, and has just gone through
the fatigues of a consultation and dressing of
the wound, and has fallen asleep
DR.. Baxter replied: He is my patient and
has been for five years."
DR.. Bliss replied: He may have been your
patient for ten years for all 1 know. but he
certainly is not your patient this morning. The
President has requested me to take professional
charge of his case, the counsel are selected
and you are not of the number; and / must say.
doctor, that this is the most extraordinary con-
duct l ever witnessed by a physician who
makes pretense of being a gentleman. and
must further say your conduct is entirely in
keeping with your character and general repu-
tation; it is well known among the faculty here
that you always gladly offer your professional
services gratuitously to any official who will
utatiOn of being notorious lobbyist whenever
and wherever you can influence your own
preferment."
To this DR.. Baxter said: You lie''
DIR. Bliss, suddenly rising to his feet, said
in reply: You are no gentleman to make such
bandying remarks in place like this, where
am unable to reply as l should be glad to do"
DIR. Baxter was then requested to leave the
house, which he did Immediately.
ROBERT REYBURN. NJ. d.
District of Columbia, S.: Subscribed and
sworn before me this Oath day of July. A. d.
1888. G. W. BALLocH.
A true copy: Notary Public.
DIR. BLISS STATEMENT.
DIR. Bliss also made the following statement
to the committee in relation to the wound
which caused the death of President Garfield.
Senator Spooner asked:
You said something about the immediate
cause of President Garfeld's death being an
aneurism?'
A.-''Yes, sir, traumatic aneurism The
ball went in very singularly, about 2 inches to
the right of the spine, broke the eleventh rib.
turned over, and went down and struck the
twelfth RIB with sufficient force to fracture il.
and then went into the twelfth lumbar vertebra
so as to break it all to pieces in the center:
passed through that vertebra, carrying frag-
ments of bone over on to the left side, and
there cutting the splenic artery that is as large
that Indicating the end of a pen-holder),
very near the aorta, so that it bled great deal,
and the wonder is that he had not bled to death
Immediately, but the fact that he was shot So
he did almost die, and had gasping respiration
for hours-that very fact let him down SO the
circulation was so feeble that the blood formed
a clot around and protected that fractured por-
ton, so that finally, when he did get reaction.
it was retained until after sceptic trouble was
so severe that it finally burst"
BY Mr.. Hoar-"Do you think that under any
circumstances, or knowledge of his injury, il
would have been curable?'
A.-''No, sir; it was absolutely fatal There
W ere three conditions of that injury. either one
Of which would have proved fatal Let me tell
YOU: The vertebra was all crushed to pieces by
t his ball going through it, to say nothing about
the ribs. 1t went through the body of the YER
zebra, fracturing it all to pieces, and passing
through carried all this debris over into the
left side That would have cause fatal result
in the end. He would have had pus forming
down and coming out below. Any one of these
fragments of bone would have been a nucleus
for pus cavity, and that would have followed
down the muscle and formed an abscess Then
the injury of the splenic artery was so large
that it could not have repaired itself perma-
nently He would have died of that So there
were three reasons, any one of which would
have produced death.
''Now, there is another fact would like to
call your attention to: To follow that ball from
the point of impact into the place where it was
arrested, behind the spleen. we would have
had to go through the vertebra, of course
They sent all sorts of probes to us-electric
probes, with bells on them, &C., to ring when
they struck the ball, and we would never pass