New-York tribune., 1891-05-04
DIR. boutwell, DEAD.
ALL THE EFFORTS TO TAKE THE CoRK
FROM HIS LUNG WERE IN VAIN.
EXHAUSTION FINALLY ENDS HIS LlFE-sroRY
OF THE STRUGGLE TO SAVE HIM.


OF THE STRUGGLE TO SAVE HIM.
The Rev. DR.. George W. Boutwell, Of the Con-
gregatonal Church of the Covenant, who had
cork lodge in his bronchial tube two weeks ago.
died at 0 30 p. m. yesterday in the Brooklyn
Hospital from exhaustion. The watchers around
the bedside expected his death all day. He
became unconscious early in the morning and
remained in that condition throughout the day
and evening, except at rare intervals. His pulse
| ran up TO $50 in the forenoon and later in the
day became so rapid that it was impossible 10
count it, Afterward 1t ebbed away so as to be
scarcely felt at all.
/ The physicians several times reported that the
patient could not live more than few minutes
lie did live on, however, owing to his remarkable
vitality. His only nourishment was from fire.
quent hypodermic injections of sparteine and
brandy Oxygen was constantly pumped into his
lungs to keep him alive. DIR. Rushmore spent two
hours in the forenoon with him and returned about
3 p. m. He seemed surprised that the patient was
still living. The stricken clergyman then seemed
hardly to be alive. He would occasionally be-
come conscious, and would show that he recog-
nized his wife, who had constantly been at his
bedside for three days. He gradually sank from
exhaustion until he quietly breathed his last.
Around his bed were Mrs Boutwell,, the Rev.
W. T. Stokes, of the Bushwicx Avenue Congrega-
tional Church; Miss Alexander andNliss Collins,
two nurses. and DR.. Young, the surgeon
Dr. Boutwell, was born in Ohio in 1850, and
spent his boyhood in doing manual labor He
graduated from Adrian College. Michigan.
| and then went to Yale. He was ordained In
1876, and his first pastorate was at Newcomers
town, Ohio At one time he thought Of becoming
Methodist, but afterward changed his mind and
became settled in his early faith as Congre-
gationalist After serving as pastor at Fostoria
Ohio, for short time, he was called TO the presi-
dency of Straight University, at New-Orleans,
and later became president Of the Southern Uni
versity. From there he went to the Southern Con-
gregational Church of Oakland. CAL. where he re-
manned until January last. when he became pastor
of the Congregational Church of the Covenant, in
Classon-ave., near Park Place, Brooklyn. In the
short time of his ministry in Brooklyn his innu-
ence was widely felt. He lived with his wife and
two children at No. 92s Butler.st.
The accident which caused his death occurred
on April 1s. Dr. Bothwell's youngest daughter
was slightly ill and he about to give her
some medicine. He took the cork from the bottle
| and put it between his teeto AS he did so he
began TO laugh at some prank Of the child The
cork slipped from his teeth and was drawn into
| his throat. He coughed and tried TO reach 1t with
his finger, but only succeeded in pushing it further
| down his throat A sudden fit of coughing caused
| it to slip into the windpipe.
DR.. Boutwell, thought little of the accident at
first but at the solicitation of bis wife DIR. w. ii.
Biggan, his family physician, was called in. Afer
an examination he sent for Drs. Sherlock aud
Westerbrook, two specialists, who painted the
| throat with cocaine and tried TO get the cork
out by causing him TO gag and cough. Ihey
| did not succeed that night, but thought than
| - fha VI Sloxr
which was Sunday. DR.. Boutwell, was largo
| and powerful man, and when it came time TO
preach on Sunday morning he went into the pulpit
and in spite of coughing delivered his sermon. Ho
did the same in the evening, although then in
great pain He coughed all day Monday trying to
get the cork from his throat and
on Tuesday after consultation with the
physicians he went to the Union League CLUB
of which he was member, and hung suspended
on horizontal bar and went through various
! exercises, in the effort to expel the cork, Dut
without avail. BY this time the obstruction had
| become disodged from the trachea and moved
further down the windpipe. AT one time ha
said he felt that the cork was loose, and that
it struck the glottis but rush of air carried
it back into the trachea. On Wednesday, April
| 22, DR.. Boutwell, took private room at the
Brooklyn Hospital and the next day DR.. j. ID.
/
the operation of tracheotomy The patient was
put under the influence of ether and an incision
was made below the cricoid cartilage An at
tempt was made with long forceps to reach the
cork, which, it was believed, lodged in the
left bronchus, above the second bifurcation While
it was thought that the cork was touched by the
instrument all efforts 10 remove it were without
effect. Then DIR. Rushmore determined To Try
a new Instrument of his own invention. lie made
| n exceedingly
screw on the end. Many surgeons doubted the efl-
cacy Of the instrument, but II was Thought Dest
TO try it before res0rting 10 more serious opera
tions. DIR. BothWell had recovered sufficiently
from the first operation 10 allow second attempt
to be made Wednesday last. The day before
second incision had been made and the cork found
with long wire. rubber tube was placed in the
wndpipe TO protect the membranes and the
catheter was introduced. 1t is said to have reached
and taken hold of the cork, and even 10 have
brought out O. small fragment Of ii, but after an
hours trial this method given up. small
electric light introduced into the trachea in
the hope of seeing the mpedment, but 1t was
useless, because Of the secretions of the passage.
Then it was determined to attempt the danger
ous operation Of eXsection Of the ribs forlorn
hope: The operation was barely started when the
condition Of the patient. who had al
hour. became such that DR. Rushmore
did not dare to go on. 1t was thought that the
patient would die on the table, but he rallied As
there was no hope Of his living unless the cork
could be extracted, it decided to go with
the exsection of the ribs if DR.. Bothweps condi-
tion improved sufficiently. He did improve some
that pneumonia would develop, but he died from
exhaustion before this happened. The case has
excited widespread interest, both because OF its
peculiarity and on account of the prominence and
popularity of DR.. Boutwell, Nevertheless, little
exact information could be obtained during his
Illness the physicians were so troubled In their
Of their dongs No arrangements for the funeral
have vet been made