Morris tribune., 1889-10-02
A Bit of History.

Z. G.. Ross, q modest printer in New
Mexico, has written letter in The st.
Louis Republic which recalls one of the
most stormy and critical periods in our
civil history-the time when Andrew
johnson. the only American president
ever impeached. was on trial before the
United States senate. There were seven
Republican senators who voted against
the presidents conviction and thus saved
congress from what would have been
recognized afterwards as lasting dis
grace.
The vote on the impeachment was taken
twenty-one years ago last Nav. 1t was
known, beforehand, that six Republican
senators would vote for acquittal. The
vote of the seventh one was in doubt.
After the ballot was taken the vote
stood: For conviction, IS; against, 10.
The count only fell short of the constitu-
tional two-third majority required by
one vote. The seventh Republican was
Mr.. E. G. Ross, then senator from Kan
sas. He was recently governor of New
Mexico. What would have happened in
case Andrew johnson had been found
guilty is summed up by Ex-Governor
Ross in his modest letter:
My great hope, for the past twenty years, has
been to live long enough to see my action lndorssd
by the American people, and that hope seems
now likely to be realized. Lave always felt a
very great pride In uiat record, and wished to
transppnf.S sppf.S IL 10 my children as an honorable heir
= !95flil !t9s5fil.
Twas in a number of hard fought battles during
tho war of the rebellion, and had many very per
ious adventures but never during that war did
face death more deliberately, conscious OF my
danger than in the senate chamber when arose
in my seat to give my vote for the acquittal of
Andrew Johnson-and never was the democratic
republican form Of government during the entire
war in so great danger as on that day.
Very few people seemed to realize then and q
great many fail to realize now, the dangers Of
that hour to our institutions of civil liberty. The
conviction and disposition Of the president on a
merely partisan accusation, as that waS would
have established a most dangerous precedent
whereby the presidency would have been relegated
to second place; with the presidency would ulti-
matey and by inescapable sequence have gone the
supreme court and thus the essential condition Of
coordination in the three departments of govern
aaent would have been destroyed, and the legisla-
tive branch become the sole governing power
The logical end would have been anarchy.
Triumphs Of Modern Surgery.
In the October Harper, DR.. w. w.
Keen narrates some of the achievements
of modern surgery that read like a story
of magic. AT the same time, it is sad
dening to recall that the most marvellous
progress has only been made within the
last fifteen years, since the close of our
civil war. If our army surgeons had
known the modern operations, the life
would have been saved of many gal
liant fellow who went to join the army
of the invisible.
The remarkable progress OF recent
surgery dates from the liberal applica-
ton of antiseptics. An antiseptic is, in
brief, a chemical preparation which
counteracts the tendency to putrefac-
ton. Earth, air and water are full OF
microbes, billions upon billions of them.
Wherever there is a scratch or abrasion
of the skin, these fasten like fiends upon
the unprotected flesh, and like fiends
destroy it. They cause Inflammation,
suppuration, gangrene. Antiseptics de-
stroy the microbes. A modern surgeon
cleanses his instruments, his bandages
his hands and nails, and the wound
itself, in antiseptics, before he under
takes an operation.
The difference between the new an6
old processes is this: Under the old the
patient had surgical fever after serious
operation or amputation, and did not re-
cover under month, if he recovered al
all. By the new process the operation is
performed under ether, there is no ''sur
! gical fever" because the putrefactior
germ spores are excluded, and in from
five to ten days the patient is well. DR.
Keen says the world is indebted per
haps to Sir Joseph Lister more than tt
any other for improvements in the treat
ment of wounds. Since these improve
ments have been introduced the per cent
of deaths in amputations has been re
duced from 53 to 5. ..
Reading carefully DR.. Keen's account
it almost looks as though in time oul
surgeons would be able to remove any
part of mans body, perform an opera
ton on him and put the part back and
have him sound and well, better than
! before, in few days. They can chisel
out piece of a human skull one or two
inches in diameter, remove tumol
| from the brain beneath it and then put
it back in place, where it will grow fast
and be sound and tight While the sur
geons are removing the tumor the piece
of skull bone reposes in a cup filed with
a warm antiseptic, whose temperature
must not fall below 100 degs. to 105 degs
The bone may even be kept from its
place so long as two hours with safety.
+. The cases Of persons afflicted with gall
stones and kidney disease are no longer
hopeless. A whole kidney, the gall blad
der itself, has been removed, and the pa
tient has lived and recovered. The
| greatest progress, DR.. Keen says, hai
been made with operations Of the head
and abdominal cavity. If aman received
gunshot wound in his intestines The
old fashioned surgeon gave him opium
and let him die in peace The modern
surgeon opens the cavity, removes thu
ball; uses the antiseptic dressing and let,