Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-13
MORRIS ADLER's WATER BED.
He Is Better Than He Was q Week
Ago-A Bare Chance for Recovery.

Morris Adler is more comfortable to-day than
he has been at any time since he fell on the
floor Of Lew Newmeyer's saloon with bullet
from Frank Wards pistol lodged in the imme-
date vicinity of his spinal column. For sew
eral days past the surgeons who are in attend
ance upon Adler have been endeavoring TO Sc
cure for the use Of their patient a water bed.
Nothing of the kind could be secured in this
city nor in Baltimore or Philadelphia. New
York was the only place where such a bed
could be had, and even there it seemed to be a
matter Of considerable difficulty to find one
that was disengaged. This morning the bed
arrived-a rubber bag about feet long
and 3 feet wide. 1t was at once filed with
water and tested, and when the doctors came
to hold their regular morning consultation the
wounded man was by them lifted from his old
bed and placed on the new one, the principal
characteristics of which are GOODNESS and elias
ITCHY. The change was decidedly beneficial,
the current of water which passed through the
bed removing that uncomfortably warm and
sticky feeling which always torments invalids
who are compelled to lie in bed for any length
of time.
ANOTHER GOOD RESULT
looked for will be the disappearance of all
symptoms of those secondary troubles which
invariably add to the suffering of patients who
close attention of Adler's physicians have pre-
vented any outbreak Of this nature, but it
would inevitably have come but for the soft
and yielding water-bed. In order that the
eternal fitness of things be not outraged an air
pillow was also purchased, and this, too, was
put into use this morning.
Last night was a comparatively comfortable
one for the sick man. But little morphia was
administered barely sufficient to give him the
repose he needed. The electric fan worked
very smoothly and the apartment was agreea-
bly, cool all night.
MARKED IMPROVEMENT.
This morning Drs. Bayne and McBlair looked
the patient over and came to the conclusion
that his condition is better than it was a week
ago. His temperature was down to 1O1, and
his pulse. although varying, averaged about
81. Respiration was practically unchanged,
and there had been no renewal of the labored
breathing. The paralysis was just as it was
yesterday; Adler could move his left foot from
side to side; that was all that looked like i'm
provement; but it was no better than it was
yesterday. The wound is giving no more
trouble. The discharge has ceased and practi-
cally the orifce is healed.
If present conditions continue the chances
are that Adler will live for some time. and it is
BARELY POSSIBLE THAT HE MAY RECOVER.
Such a possibility has, Of course, always
existed, but it never seemed so plain as now.
Adler continues to insist that he will pull
through all right, and, while the doctors will
not acknowledge that he knows anything about
1t, they are hardly as pronounced in their state
ments as to the outcome of the case. They, too,
are hopeful that their patient will recover
1T would be big thing for them-but up to
this afternoon they had not seen anything in
Adler's condition which would lead them to
again. What they most fear now is a return Of
the hot weather