The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-08-31
Mr.. CLEVELAND'S ILLNESS.
/ Is Said 10 b, More Serious Than
Supposed.
| SEVERE SURGICAL OPERATION
reformed while the Sick President Was
on board Mr.. Eencdicrs Yacht and
Under the Influence of Gas.

correspondent OF the Philadelphia Press.
who writes under the name OF Holland"
sent 10 ithat paper few mornings
since a long and possibly important de-
snatch concerning President Cleveland's
health. An abstract Of the despatch is
alpaded.-
"It is useless longer to conceal the
fact that ar. Cleveland Is sick man,
perhaps Is very sick man. and that the
physicians have fear that mortal disease
Is lurking In his system. Notwithstanding
heroic efforts Of surgery 10 remove II
during tie summer. Secretary Lamont.
who was here last week and whose
aaxiety was impressive and pitful for
Dis friend 10 see. said with something
OF the tone OF sadness I'm his voice that
there would be and could be no attempt
on the part Of the Administration to
make any interference I'm the local pol
rils of New York and when asked why
this was so. Lamont replied saying 10
10 Colonel Monroe: The President IS
"a very sick man. how sick we cannot
,.n' The news which is here reported
for the first time has been received from
tf.s. whose sources of Information are
SD accurate as 10 justify even 10 COM
pl ns publication. II comes from men,
Som. of whom saw and had part In
what is dcscibd d.
.,rIpn Mr cleveland again became
president last March he seemed 20 be In
ta best Of health, although II was plain
Oh him that he had less vigor. a dimin-
i.h.i power Of maintaining sustained ef-
forts and bearing with prolonged fatigue
than was the case when he first, In the
prime Of his manhood. became President
M the United States. But there was
mental strain. one that called for much
greater draft upon his vital resources
than any which oflce-seekers entailed.
created by the sudden. overwhelming and
extraordinary financial situation. II may
he that this mental strain developed. II
SO dld not create. that disease with which
-he physicians have been cOntending.
"lt was I'm the late spring that Mr..
Cleveland began 10 be tormented by pain
which seemed 10 proceed from a tooth.
lIe concealed his suffering from his fam
iIv. and 40 Is probable that no one, cx-
c-pting Secretary Lamont knew that he
had physical torture as we'll as mental
anxiety TO contend with. The pain ala
not Yield 10 local and usual treatment.
When the first careful examination was
that this trouble was due 10 no expos
ure of % dental nerve or to any usual
disease of the teeth my infOrmants co
not know; they DO know that there was a
time. shortly before the President issu ID
his cali FOR the extraordinary session OF
congress Whcn 10 was determined that an
operation was Inevitable how grave or
extensive could not an first be determined.
'lt is probable that the decision to
perform the operation while the President
was upon Mr.. Benedct's yacht was due
o. several reasOns-one. perhaps, that the
family, being in ignorance, might not be
overwhelmed boy anxiety and suspense;
another, that II the operation was per
formed with surgical success the country
might not be alarmed.
"Mr. Cleveland. with Mr.. Lamont, whose
faithful attendance TO one whom he
respects as President. but regards with
another and more delightful sentiment,
which approaches that Of hlial affection
and has been a matter of much comment
during the summer, left Washington quite
suddenly upon the day when the call
f0r the extraordinary session Of Congress
was issued. Arrangements were made I'm
this city with celerity and Mr.. Cleveland
was met when he arrived here by Or.
Bryant and another physician, and by
Dr Hashrouck. all Of whom boarded
the yacht with him. The baggage Of these
physicians contained the instruments OF
surgery and the apparatus for anaesthetic
administration. Or. HasbrOuck had this
latter apparatus in charge.
"Mr Cleveland. almost as soon az he
bearded the yacht, retired 10 his state
room and fell into a heavy slumber. The
inumatiOn was made 20 me that he might
have received hypodermic injection;
certainly 10 was deemed desirable that
De- should enjoy prolonged sleep before he
yielded himself 10 the surgeon. and he ala
sleep until we'll into the next day.
'Nhen the time came the President OF
the United States submitted himself To
the surgeon as calmly, as gentle and
as willingly as though were merely
lying down for brief slrmber 1t was
deemed advisable 10 use gas as an an
aesthetic rather than ether because the
operation was 10 be s.ch as would en-
tan severe hemOrrhages, which might
possibly lead 20 the flow Of blood inro
the wlndpipe. by using gas, recovery
would be almost instantaneous, whereas
ether entails much slower recovery. so
that in case OF such hemorrhage there
might be sunocation. The Presid 'nt
yielded easily TO the anaesthetic. and the
surgeons then began their task OF &w-
ful responsibility. The operation did not
require very long. but u entailed the cut
ting away Of cor siderable part Of the
upper jaw bone upon one side, the In
strument boring through the bone and
tissue as far as the crbi;al plate.
THE operation was thorough. The
physicians believe hat they have removed
al Of the diseased tissue and bone, al
though I'm doing II the removal OF so
much Of the jaw as that was entailed or
course I'm doing this teeth were extracted,
60 that the physicians We,e truthful when |
they afterwards said that the President |
had had some teeth pulled out while |
he was on Mr. Benedict's yacht. They /
were also well within the rules OF profess |
honal diplomacy when they denied that |
any other operation than that Of Ordi- |
nary gentle surgery rad been performed, /
ana thcy now defend these statements and |
are quite likely publicly to insist that |
hry SAID all that was necessary 10 say, /
OF that the operation justified when they
announced that MI Cleveland had merely
had some teeth extracted
such an operation as this entails nro-
fuse hemOrrhage. and after the diseased
tissue was removed the surgeons speed-
iiy dressed the wound and then ~ nsa |
professional term plugged H. That is
70 say, they packed the cavity made by
the knives and saws with antiseptic cot
Ton, so that II might be healed speedily:
ana so as 10 prevent great loss OF blood
but thoy were appIehensive OF a sec
ohatry hemorrhage. which might entail
"nO,h'r operation. or at least require
eeh treatment ~ would make the use
- an aesthetic necessary. There
1T hasbrouck was kept upon the