The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-13
GOOD WORK BY DOCTORS
DIR. MATTHEW MANN HANDLED
THE KNIFE
Graphic Description of the Opera
ton That Saved the Life of
President William Nc
kinIey.

NEW YORK, Sept 12-The New
| York Medical Journal in its issue this
| week will print the following account
| of the operation upon President Nc
<inley following his shooting at Buff
| falo last Friday. This report is fur
nished by a Buffalo physician who was
present at the operation. Beginning
with the arrival Of the president at the
hospital, the report says:
The hospital internes removed the pres
ident's clothing, ascertained the location
of the wounds and made ready for the
surgeons, who had been summoned by
telephone. DR.. Edward c. Mann ad-
ministered one-fourth of a grain CT
morphine hypodermically, which served
a good purpose in alternating nerve
strain. DR.. N. w. Wilson, sanitary Of
ficer of the exposition, was at remote
part of the grounds making an inspec-
ton when he was notified by one of the
guards of the injury to the president.
Dr. Wilson proceeded to the hospital,
and by virtue of his office assumed con-
troll pending the arrival of the sur
geons.
This was at 4:35 p. m. The first to
arrive was DR.. Herman Mynter, who
brought with him DR.. Eugene Wasdin,
of the Marine hospital service. DR.. Myn-
ter saw the serious nature of the wound,
ton was necessary and set about the
usual preparations for an abdominal sec
ton
DR.. Wilson, the intesnes, and the nurses
We're all actively at work furthering the
preparations when Dr. Matthew d.
Mann, professor of obstetrics and gynel-
ogolgy in the medical department of
Buffalo, arrived at the hospital, which
was few minutes after o'clock In
five mil Do arto
fessor of anatonomy and clinical surgery
in the institution above mentioned came
into the hospital. In ten minutes more
DR.. Mann had made himself ready, and
by common consent of the surgeons, to-
gether with the approval of the presi-
dent and his advisers, proceeded with
the operation.
At DR.. Mann's request DR.. Wasdn
assumed charge of the anaesthetic and
began the administration of ether at
$40, one hour and fifteen minutes after
the wound was inflicted. DR.. Wilson
was asked to keep the record, DR.. Myn-
ter to stand opposite the operator as
first assistant and DIR. Parmenter to
stand next to Dr. Mann as consultant
and assistant. DR.. E. w. Lee, of st.
Louis, a visitor at the exposition, who
came to the hospital before the other
surgeons arrived, was asked by Dr.
Mann to stand next to DR.. Mynter es
an additional assistant DR.. P. M
RiXey who was summoned from the
Milburn home, whittier he went in COM
pany with Mrs. Mckinley arrived just
as the operation began. Dr. Roswell
Parke had gone to Niagara Falls, and a
special train to bring him to Buffalo was
ordered by Harry Parry, general agent
of the New York Central railway. it
should be mentioned that the first or
uppermost shot went through the presi-
dents clothing and made an abrasion
about the center of the sternum. The
bullet was found inside the waistcoat
and did no. essential harm. The cloth
ing was burned by the explosion of the
powder at this point.
The president took the ether kindly and
was well under its influence within the
next ten minutes. The abdomen having
been aseptically prepared, an incision
three inches long was made perpendicu-
lar to the body and including the open
ing made by the ball-a 32-calibre-thaI
was located four inches below the Left
nipple and an inch and a half to the left
of the medium line. The incision went
through a deep layer of fat before the
peritoneum was reached hence the in
cision was enlarged another inch. A
piece of cloth, probably a bit of under
shirt, was found in the track of the
punched OUT by the bullet. Upon open
ing the peritoneum a bullet hole was dis
covered in the anterior central portion of
the stomach This viscus was drawn up
into the operation wound and the perfor-
alton, after examination, was closed
with d. double row of silk sutures. lit
tie oozing of the stomach contents had
! occurred through the opening-all of
which was wiped away. A further en-
largement of the incision became neces-
Sary in order to examine the dorsal of
the stomach, upon which another OPEN
ing was found This was sutured In
manner like unto the first. The intestines
were examined for possible wounds, but
happily none were found, and these were
wrapped in moist, hot towels. A previous
hypodermic injection has been made, and
now % minims of brandy were similarly
administered. A further search for the
missile failed to discover it, but it be-
came apparent that it had done no other
vital damage, with the strong probability
! muscles.
| Dr. Roswell Park arrived about this
| time-6:25-and joined the staff as consult
ant. The abdominal cavity was flushed
| with normal salt solution and the closure
began. Seven deep silkworm gut sutures
were employed and catgut was placed
| specifically between them. At about
$50 the anaesthetic was discontinued and
| the abdominal bandage was applied. Thus
| the operation on which so much of mo-
ment depended was finished. The pres
| ident's pulse was now 122, respiration g.