Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-27
The Doctors in Attendance Make a
Statement Concerning
COL. ELLIOTT F. SHEPARD'S CASE.
Death Was Due to the Use OF
Ether as an Anaesthetic - A
Stone Was to be Removed From
His Bladder - Every Possible
Effort Was Made to Revive
Him, But Unsuccessfully-De-
tails of the Case.

New YORK, March 26.-At the spe-
cial request of DR.. Chauncey M. Depew
and the members of the family OF the
late Elliott f. Shepard, Doctors Nc
| Burney and McLane tonight gave out
/ the following statement for publication
"Tn consequence Of the many mis-
statements that have been made in the
public press, in regard 10 the case oil the
late Elliott f. Shepard, the undersign-
! ed, at the request OF his family and
many friends, have consented to make
the following statement:
"On Friday afternoon, March "a, we
met at Colonel Shepard'S house for the
purpose of making a thorough explora-
ton, under ether, of his bladder, and
we proposed, if practicable, to remove
| the stone which 1t contained.
The presence OF the stone had been
determined at two careful examinations
made on February oath and March 9th.
These were conducted without an anes-
thetic and gave the patient some pain.
"At about l2:45 the administration OF
the ether was commenced. 1t was ex-
planned to him that by taking full in
! Spirations, and not Offering any resiS-
tance he would come more rapidly I'M
/ der the influence Of the anaeSthetic,
and for a few moments he inhaled the
ether uncommonly well, his breathing
being full and free.
"His color then changed somewhat,
and 1t was apparent that he was nau-
seated In another moment he vomit-
ed. After this his color was better, but
as his respirations were not satisfactory
nor his pulse. the further administra-
tion of the anasthetic was discontin-
ued.
"As yet not enough ether had been
given to admit of proceeding with the
proposed operation. All our efforts
were now directed to securing proper
respiratory action.
Gas is usual in cases where respira-
tion is not perfectly satisfactory, the
breathing continuing very labored, an
examination was made Of the larynx to
discover whether possibly some particle
OF food had lodge in it, but such proved
not to be the case.
"The patients condition was now so
alarming as TO call for extreme meas
ures, and in the hope that the symp-
toms might be due TO the presence in
the wind-pipe of vomited material, acci-
dentally inhaled the operation Of ira
chaeotomy or opening Of the windppe
was performed.
'No foreign material OF any kind
was found. We even passed rubber
tube down the wind-pipe and into the
bronchial tubes, making use OF pow
erful aspirating syringe, without dis
covering the presence of anything but
bloody mucus.
"In the meantime, several careful
examinations were made Of the lungs
and the sounds were heard such as In
dicate adema of these organs. Oxygen
had been previously sent for, and
under it's influence the patient slightly
revived.
Artificial respiration and every other
means which might possibly give relief
were resorted 10. From this time on
his breathing became even more embar-
RAISING, but still artificial respiration
was continuously kept up, although his
! pulse became steadily more feeble.
''He sank rapidly into unconscious
ness and in spite Of all efforts, died
at ten minutes past four o'clock.
In our opinion Colonel Shepard
died Of sudden Gdema and con-
gestion OF the lungs following the ad-
ministration of ether, but primarily due
to some cause unknown u.s."
ISigned