St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-25
HISTORY OF HER CASE
The Fell Disease Had Its Origin
in the Grin. Sa4

In the GRIP. Sr1
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24--The history
of Mrs. Harrison's last aud fatal illness
is best told in the language of hel
physician. DR.. Frank A. Gardner, OF
this city, as follows:
Mrs. HarrisOn's illness was the ont.
come OF an attack of grip during the
winter OF 1S90-1S91, which left her with
a cough lasting for several weeks,
While at Cape May Point in the summer
OF 1871 she contracted cold which
caused a return of the cough. and if
lasted during the entire summer. She
was well enough, however. during the
winter to attend to the eXacting social
functions devOlving on the mistress of
the White house. but in January, 1892.
the cough which had never entirely left
her. commenced again to trouble her
considerably. While it was not severe
enough to confine her to the house, il
Was SUFFICIENT 10 require frequent medi-
cal treatment.
In the following March she had a
second attack of the grip, followed this
time by catarrhal pneumonia. lasting
about nine days. The coughing smells
then increased in severity until at last
thcy were accompanied by bloody ex-
pectoratlons. and about the first of Nav
she suffered from hemorrliage of the
lungs, which. although not very serious.
caused great prOStratiOn. An examin-
ation OF the lungs several days later re.
Vealed dizziness at the apex of the
right lung. From this time until June
3, the date of her removal to Loon
Lake, there was a rise of temperature
OF about three degrees each night. and
her respiration at that time averaged
about forty per minute.
several days after her arrival at
Loon lake she commenced to improve.
der appetite and strength increased
ana the fever gradually became less.
Inc cough and eXpectoration also
diminished. Subsequently she was able
10 take daily drives of several miles
Dnt this Improvement was of short du-
ration. and an examination made Sent.
showed that the upper half of her right
lung was completely consolidated. Not
outstanding this condition. she was
able to continue her daily drives up to
Sept. Z. on which date she was stricken
down with an attack OF Subacute pleu-
rlsy, accompanied by an effusion of
fibro-serous fluid completely filling the
cavity or the pleura on the right side.
necessltatlng aSpirating, or tapping,
three times. =
ut was during the existence of this
conaplicatlon that consultation was
held by DR.. Gardner, of Washington
Or. Doughty. of New York, and Dr.
Trudeau, of Saranac. N. Y, resuIting.in
the issuance Sept. IA of bulletin to the
public that Mrs. Harrison was afflicted
with pulmonary tuberculosis, compli-
Gated with pleurisy and nervous pros
tratlon, and that the result was uneer-
tain.
"At the time of Mrs. Harrison's re-
moval to Washington, Sept. 20, her right
lung was entirely consolidated. The
disease progressed steadily. resisting
treatment. with every known remedy.
until eventually the left lung became in.
volved. and then the condition of the
patient was hopeless. The case was
complicated from the very first by ex-
IRENE nervous prostration which per-
slstently resisted every remedy known
10 medical science. About the 1st of
May the case assumed serious aspect,
ana Or. Frank E. Doughty, of New
YORK, physician of acknowledged
skill IN the treatment of pulmonary and
nervous disorders, was called to Wash
lngton for consultation, and from that
time until her departure from Loon
Lake. visited the patient at short in
tervals.
Soon after the pIeuritic complica-
ton set in. DIR. Trudeau, who has a san
ltarium at Saranac Lake, n. Y, for the
treatment of cases of tuberculosis. was
also called in consultation. He agreed
with the other physicians as to the
serious nature of the disease. and was
not able to offer the president the least
encouragement as to the result. In
May last DR.. Gardner Informed the
president that Mrs. Harrison had incip-
tent tuberculosis, and suggested her re-
moval at once to the Adirondacks as
the most suitable place for the treat
ment of her case. The history of the
case. however, shows that she derived
10 benefit from her visit there, and that
the lnsidious disease was undoubtedly
too deep-seated to have yielded to any
Known haman agency. Certainly moth
Ing within the knowledge OF the med
zeal profession that could possibly tend
to alleviate her sufferingS or lead to a
cure was lett untried, but to no avail. -