Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-10-27

end exhaustion. This terrible nervous
strain on those who watched was very mp
parent. At dawn the vital force OF Mrs.
Harrison was at the lowest ebb and the
presidents anxiety became 80 acute that he
felt the need of some assurance from medi-
cal authority.
i messenger was despatched FOR DR..
Gardner and the physician quickly respond
cd, reaching tbs Waite House at ! O'Clock.
Ho found the patient in condition to war
rant the gravest approximations and 80 hope
less was the report that the president de
sired him TO remain in the White House for
n time. DR.. Gardner accordingly remained
and brenkfaSted with the family
At o clock it appeared that the struggle
for life was to be prolo aged for some hours
at least, ard the doctor Loft tho house after
giving the family the email grain of com
fort 70 DO found in the statsmcnt that Mrs
Harrison might live until evening.
DR.. Gardner was at the patients bedside
nearly the entire forenoon. lie went away
two or three times to attend 20 other duties,
but at no one time was lie absent more than
half au hour. When asked about her con-
dtion be frankly admitted that death was
very neor and that remarkable as Mrs.
Harrison's vitality was, be did not see how
sue could live more than a few hours. Mrs.
harrison at nOOnuIne was SLlli conscious.
From clock until well in the evening
the president and all the members of the
family remained increasingly at Mrs. Harri-
mons bedside. AS the night came on the
physicians visits were more frequent, and
whenever he came from the sick chamber
no brought the same report; that the patient
was as near death rs she could lie and still
live; that she might expire at any moment,
or she might exist another hour or two.
The employees In tie bust poss portion of the
house, though their work was done, fingered
on. Absolute detection was pictured on
zach couutenance.
Just after O'Clock Mrs. Harrison sut-
fered another sinking spell, but the sick
woman still had sufficient reserve strength
TO rally once more.
During the evening hours the invalid be-
trayed some signs OF understanding the at
tennis made to relieve her by opening her
parched lips to receive the stimulating fluid
applied TO them. But not drop could she
tako and the power OF speech had apparent
j. left her forever.
The physician noted as the evening wore
on az increase in the difficulty OF breathing,
which was regarded az ominoue. Hour
after hour slipped away, each leaving the
patient weaker, yet 80 gradual the de-
cline that it could not bs eaid positively at
any minute that she had materially failed
If it was possible TO add to the gravity Of
the situation and 10 stimulate tho agonzed
apprehension OF the sorrow stricken family
gathered about the scarcely animated form
OF tho beloved wife and mother.
.heso results were attained when Dr..
Culdner, after narrowly examining the
couatsnancs and feeling the pulse OF the
dying women, sorrowfuiiy ennounced that
oil ba I'D Cd no oil 10 ~ >
she could not survive more than half M
hour. This was al quarter TO one O'CLOCK.
The minutes passed with frightful rapid
ity aud the half hour passed. The almost
pulsoless form, however, still retained the
sacred spark.
AZ the hands CT the clock crept toward
the next hour 1t grew fainter yet and less
frequent, and as the :lmepiecs marked
the hour Of l:40 O'Clock there
was an interruption of the feeble
bren,h, a resumption and then a stop, thi,
time to be eternal, and the life OF Caroline
Scott Harrison had gone out peacefully and
quietly and without pain.
History OF tho Fatal Illness.
The history of lIra. Hnrrison's fatal Ill
ness is best told in the language of her
physician, DR.. Frank A. Gardner OF thi!
city, as follows:
Mrs. Harrison's illness was the outcome
OF an attack of grip during the winter Of
1SJO-1SJl which left her with a cough last.
ing Tor several week. While at Cape May
Point in the summer Of 1891 she contracted
cold which caused a return OF the cougl
Ind it lasted during the entire summer
She was well enough, however, during tn,
winter to attend to the exactn2 social func
tons devolvng upon the mistress OF thu
White House, but in January, 1892, Thu
cough which had never entirely left her
commenced agein TO trouble her consider
bly,. In the following March she had a sec
ond attack OF the grip, followed this time b.
catarrhal pneumonia, lasting about min
days. The coughing spells then increased
in severity until Mt last they were accompa
pied by bloody eXpoctorations and about
thu first Of May she suffered from heInor
rhage Of the lungs which, although not YER,
severe caused great prostraton. An ex
animation Of the lungs several day later re
veaied Cullness al the apex OF the RICH
lung.
subsequently she was able 10 take dali,
drives OF several miles, but this improve
ment was Of short duration and an exGmina
tion made September ! showed that the up
per half Of her right lung was completed
consolidated. Notwithstanding this condi
ton she was able to continue her dali
drives up to September :, on which date sli
was striyea down with an attack of sui
acute p!eurisy, accompanied b. an eiTusio
Of nbro-secous fluid completely filing th
cavity Of the pleura on tho right side, ncco.
stating aspirating tapping three times.
1T tho time Of Mrs. Harrisoa's removn
70 Washington, September 2Oth, her risl
lung was entirely consolidated. Tho dis
ease progressed steadily resisting treat
ment with every known remedy, uat
eventually the left lung became iuvolveC
aud then the condition of the patient We
hopeless. The case was complicated fro,
tho worry hrst by extreme nervous prostra
ton, which persstently resisted every rem
edy kpoTn.
Abou, tao Grst OF May the cass assume
q serious aspect and DR.. Frank Il. bought
OF New GorG, physician OF acknowledge
skill In the treatment OF pulmonary an
nervous diseases, was called to Wsshingtc
for consultation, and from that time unit
her departure from Loon Lake visited II
patient az short intervals. Soon after Il
pleuritic complication set In Dr. Trudea,