Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-10-24
M'KINLET'S WOUNDS.
Medical View of the Late Presi-
dents Case.
NO FAULT FOUND IN TREATMENT

na1-Poisoned Bullet Theory Is Not
Accepted-Case Said to Be a Unique
One.
The current number OF the New
York Medical Journal deals at length
with the surgical aspect of the case of
President Mckinley. The Journal is
not disposed to find fault with the sur
geons who attended upon the late
president. 1t believes that all that hui
man skill couzl 60 for him was done.
If the surgeons were at one time
more hopeful than vas ~justifable by
the condition of the patient, it was an
error. It says that was eycusable and
asserts that, so far as the facts were
then known to them, the surgeons were
warranted in expecting the recovery
of their illustrious patient. The edito-
rial says in part:
cit is a melancholy consolation to
know that the fatal termination Of
President McKinley's case was not in
the slightest degree due to any omis-
sion to give him the full benefit of all
the present Of our art, and
there is nothing humillating IN the fact
that the favorable prognosis which for
five or six days seemed JUSTIFIED should
have finally proved fa,Iacious.
"It is expected that an official report
of the case will be given to the profess
sion in the course OF n short time.
Pending the issue of the report let US
briefly review the case. At the time
of his assassination President Mckin-
ley was probably in better physical
condition than most ne OF his age
ffty-eight years-WhO lead a sedenta-
~ life. So far as is known, he was
free from all organic disease, though
his vitality may have been somewhat
impaired by h fearful mental strain
to which the duties OF his office and it's
responsibilities and anxieties had long
subjected him. He was suddenly cut
! down by a cruel wound, but he bore
it brayely, and there was little Of the
condition known as shock.
'HThis freedom from shock was cor
rectly interpreted as showing that no
considerable internal hemorrhage was
| going on. Without delay he was taken
to a well equipped hospital and attend
| ed by surgeons Of worldwide reputation
and vast experience. The operation it.
| self was performed by an exceedingly
| capable gynecologist, who was assisted
| by equally capable general surgeons.
1t is perfectly certain that there was
no technical fault in the operation, and
it may be said with equal p~ositiveness
that it would have verged on madness
to prolong the search for the bullet aft
err it had been ascertained that it had
not inflicted any very grave injury be-
! yond that of the stomach-ascertained,
that is to say, within the limitations of
warrantable efforts. The amount of
time consumed in a major operation,
| especially one dealing with the abdom-
inal organs, is of vast Importance as
| affecting the patients chances Of recov-
| cry.
1.-THE operation having been finished
without seriously taxing the dlSt1n-
| guished patients vital powers, there
followed at least five days Of freedom
from serious symptoms. This we say
with full appreciation Of the fact that
the record of the pulse and respiration
! seemed ominoEs. fer the high rate
might have been luz to any n Of a
number of conditions not in themselves
of grave import. The hopeful view was
taken, and quite naturally, that it could
be SO explained. 1t is cas- to be wise
after the event and to say that in this
respect the surgeons were in error.
Err they certainly did. as b result
shows. but to err in such a way argues
no incapacity or a~voidable lack Of judg-
men. 1t simply, we repeat, illustrates
the fact that the medical man is not q
perfect being"
In speaking Of the poisoned bullet"
| theory the editorial says:
at is not at all improbable that there
were pathogenic bacteria on b sur
face Of the missile, but so there often
are on every ordinary material used by
man. We know of 40 poison in the
ordinary acceptation of the word, that
in only such minute amounts as could
be smeared on d bullet-or in any
lamount, for that matter-cou!d when
! driven into the body set up gangrene
after at least five days of inoHensive-
ness.
"Gangrene was probably established
two or three days before the fatal is
sue followed, but it could hardly have
occurred very early without giving rise
to more disQuieting phenomena than
augmentation Of the pulse and respira-
ton rates, which, as we have said be-
fore, might we'll have been due to some
comparatively unimportant disturb
ance. To the wound of the kidney we
attribute little Importance further than
arises from the fact that it made one
more traumatic surface to become gan
grenous. There is said to have been
a tr!fing degree of haeE1aturia Of brief
duration, cut not enough 10 indicate a
very serious renal lesion.
1.-The case of the profoundly lamented