New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-25
MRS. HARRISON AT REST.
THE END COMES PEACEFULLY IN Tm
EARLY MORNING.
HER GREAT VITALITY PROLONGED LIFE BE-
YOND THE DOCTORS HoPEs-sAp SCENES
AT THE SICK ROOM IN THE
WHITE HOUSE.
Washington, Oct. 2I.-Mrs. Harrison died q
| 40 O'Clock
HISTORY OF HER LONG ILLNESS.

HISTORY OF HER LONG ILLNESS.
Washington, oct. 24.-The history Of Mrs. Harrson's
last and fatal Illness is best told In the language Q
her ply scan, DR.. Frank a. Gardner OF this city.
follows:
Mrs Harrisons Illness the outcome OF an
attack of grip during the winter OF 16909l which
left her with cough. lasting for several weeks While
Cape May Point, In the summer OF 1881, she con-
tracted a cold which caused return OF the cough ana
It lasted during the entire summer. She was we'll
enough however. during the winter to attend to the
exacng social func ions devolving on the mistress
OF the White House but In January, 1892, the cough,
which had never entirely left her, began again 70
trouble her considerable. While 1t was not severe
enough to confne her 10 the house. 1t was suhclenI
% require frequent medical treatment In the io-
lowing March she had second attack OF the slp
followed this time by catarrhal pneumonia, lasting
about nine days.
THE coughing spellsl then increased In severity
until at last they were accompanied by bloody ex-
pectoraons, and about the first Of May she suffered
from a hemOrrhage OF the lungs, which, although DOT
very severe, caused great prostraton. An examina'
ton of the lungs several days later revealed dull
ness at the apex OF the right lung. From this time
until July g, the date OF her removal to Loon Lake,
there rise OF temperature OF about three degrees
night. and her respiration at that time averaged
about forty per minute. Several days aiter ner
arrival at Loon Lake she began TO improve. Her
appetite and strength increased and the fever gradually
became less The cough and eypecioration also dmin-
ished. Subsequently she able to take daily
drives of several miles, but this Improvement was OK
short duration, and examination made September
/ showed that the upper half of her right lung was
completely consolidated.
Notwithstanding this condition she was able to
her dale drives up september Z. on which
date she stricken down with al attack Of SUD-
acute peursy accompanied by an eGuslGn oil noro-
serous fluid completely filling the cavity OF the pleura
on the right side. and nccessitang a spralng OF
tapping three times. 1t durihg the existence oI
this complication that consultation was held by Dr.
Gardner OF Washington; DIR. Doughty, Of N"w-forR'
and Dr. Trudeau Of Saranac. y. Y, resulting In the
Issuance september Ii OF n bulletin to the puoho
announcing that Mrs. Harrison afflicted with pu'
monary tuberculosis, complicated with persy and
nervous pr0stratiOn and that the result Vas uncer-
Tain At the time OF Mrs. Harris )ns removal to
Washington on september 20 her iglt lung was en-
trely consolidated The disease progressed steadily,
resisting treatment with every Known remedy until
eventually the left lung became involved and then
he condition Of the patient was hopeless. The case
was complicated from the very first BY extreme
nervous prosraon, which persote1ty resisted every
remedy known medical science.
About May the case assumed serious aspect.
and Dr. Francis T. Doughty, of NewYork a physi-
elan o. acknowledged skill in the treatment OF pul.
monary and nervous disorder, was called TO WASH
ngton for consultation. and from that time until her
departure from Loon Lake visited the patient at Short
Intervals,
In Dr. Trudeau. who has sanitarium at Saranac Lake.
y " for the treatment of cases OF tuberculosis
also called In consultation He agreed with the othe1
physicians to the serious nature OF the disease ana
was not able to offer the President the least encour-
agement as the result. In May last DR.. Gardner
informed the President that Mrs. Harrison had In.
clpent tuberculosis, and suggested her removal az
once to the Adrondacks as the most suitable place
'or the treatment OF her case. The history OF the
case however shows that she derived no benefit from
her visit there and that the insidous disease was un'
doubtedly too deep-seated to have yielded TO any
known human agency. Certainly nothing within the
knowledge Of the medical profession that could possi-
bIy tend to alleviate her suferings lead to cure
was left untred but to no avail
There are several Interesting incidents connected
with the which are naturally omitted from the
above purely medical history. For instance, up TO
the tine q the appearance Of the pleuiiic symptoms
at Loon Lake early in september the extremely alarm
ing character of the case lot realized by the
President or my member of the family. each Of whom
Een seemed huOyod up with the hope Of MIS- far'
ison's ultimate restoration TO health. Whatever nope
President had cherished for the recovery OF bis vile
however quickly dispeled after the consultation
the three ply sclans Loon Lake september Ia
The condition OF the patient AT that tine was 50 alarm
that 1t decided TO be no longer right OF prudent
to keep 1t from the public, and the bulletin saying
at she had consumption, complicated with ct!er
troubles, thercupon given 10 the press.
This was the first official statement Of the true
of the case and Issuance caused no little ex-
element. AT the request of the oller pny slclahs
Dr. Doughty prepared Il statement of the case as he
viewed 1t. /. was intended for publication BUT ae
hc time he of this fact. 1t was subse-
quently given to the press lust n he wrote II Win
pl1en0s!> which closed the paper he wrote the one
ord fatal bat In the prosno. siyen 70 the press
made the suggestion OF the family, some OF the
members of which questioned the expediency OF making
70 serious statement IN such summary manner,
specially their many friends were totally unpre-
pared for such announcement.
Another feature Of the not touched on In the
physician, statement was the reason, Tor tle re-
phIently in the last stages of her disease Wien she
last took her bed early In september she expressed
but confident she would get better II they would
only take her back TO Washington She said she had
sroue to SEQ how her orders had been executed.
that the lrcsldon directed a compliance with her
wishes, he assuming all r,sponsib is in the matter
They admitted that the mountln air did not appear to
benefit her, and they saw no reason why she should not
be- atihd IN what might be her last request but they
frankly said that If she were removed al all 1t would
ber be done right away as n n few daTs e NJ, her c0nd
iblc II is on September Is, and Mrs. Harrison
then Just recovering from the debitaiing effects Of
TIE third opcraton for the removal OF the fluid accumu.
The details of her transfer from Loon Lake WASH
personal suggestion Mr., Harrison were lett tho
Judgment ana discretion of Gcorgc W. Boyd, assistant
raj passenger agent OF the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad.
an ltimatc ilicsd OF h. IAN l. iOg man, ycus.
Under his competent supervision the ordinarily
tedious journey accomplished with scarcely any
trouble inconvenience TO the weak and long suffer
Ing invalid and she arrived in Washington on tho
morning of september II in a good condition as
when She left the Orelv mountain station noon
the previous day. Indeed the slight rally that fol-
lowed her return TO more familiar surroundings gave
again false hope for her final recovery. The reac-
ton which soon followed. however. left her even
weaker than before. and sti'l nearer the end
SKETCH OF HER LIFE.
In oxford, Ohio Miami University, where