The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-09-25
WHAT The SURGEONS DID.
New York Medical Journals Ac-
count of the Operation on the
President.


its issue last week, printed the follow
ing account of the operation upon
President Mckinley following his
shooting at Buffalo last Friday. This
report is furnished by a Buffalo physl-
clan, who was present at the opera
tion. Beginning with the arrival of
the President at the hospital the ac-
count says:
The hospital internes removed the
Presidents clothing, ascertained the
location of the wounds and made ready
for the surgeons, who had been sum
moned by telephone. DR.. Edward @.
Mann administered one-fourth of a grain
of morphine hypodermically, which
served a good purpose in alleviatlng
nerve strain. DR.. n. ". Wilson, sani-
tary officer of the Exposition, was
at a remote part of the grounds, max
ing an inspection, when he was
notified by one of the guards of the
injury to the President. Dr.. Wilson
proceeded to the hospital, and, by vir-
tue of his Office, assumed control pend
ing the arrival of the surgeons. 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.. Mynter
saw the serious nature of the wound,
informed the President that the opera
tion was necessary and set about the
usual preparations.
DR.. Wilson, the internes and the
nurses were all actively at work
furthering the preparations, when DR..
Matthew D. Mann, professor Of OBJ
stetrics and gynaecology in the medi-
cal department, University of Buffalo,
arrived at the hospital, which was a
few minutes after O'Clock. In i've
minutes more DR.. John Parmenter,
professor of anatomy and clinical sur
gerry in the institution above mention
ed, came into the hospital. In ten
minutes more DR.. Mann had made
himself ready and by common consent
of the surgeons, together with the ap-
proval of the President and his ad-
visers, proceeded with the operation.
At Dr.. Mann's request DR.. Wasdln
assumed charge Of the anesthetic and
began the administration of ether at
5.2O-one hour and Is minutes after
the wound was inflicted. DR.. Wilson
was asked to keep the record. DR..
Mynter to stand opposite the operator
as first assistant, and Dr.. Parmenter
to stand next to Dr. Mann as consul
tant and assistant. Dr.. E. W. Lee,
of ST. Louis, visitor to the Exposi-
tion, who came to the hospital before
the other surgeons arrived, was asked
by DR.. Mann to stand next to DR..
Mynter as an additional assistant.
Dr.. P. NJ. Rixey, who was summoned
from the Milburn home. whittier he
went in company with Mrs. Mckinley,
arrived just as the operation began.
DR.. Roswell Park had gone to Niagara
Falls, and a special train to bring him
to Buffalo was ordered. It should be
mentioned that the first or uppermost
shot went through the Presidents
clothing and made an abrasion about
the centre of the sternun. The bull
let was found inside the waistcoat and
did no essential harm. The clothing
was burned by the explosion of the
powder at this point.
The President took the ether kindly
and was well under its influence with
in the next ten minutes. The abdc
men having been aseptically prepared,
an incision three inches long was made
perpendicular to the body, and includ
ing the opening made by the ball--a
2-calibre-that was located four
inches below the left nipple and an
inch and half to the left of the
median line. The incision went
through deep layer of fat before the
peritoneum was reached, hence the in
cision was enlarged another inch. A
piece of cloth-probably bit of IN
dershirt-was found in the track Of
the missile. It looked as if it had
been punched out" by the bullet.
Upon opening the peritoneum bullet
hole was discovered in the anterior
central portion Of the stomach. This
yiscus was drawn up into the opera
ton wound, and the perforation after
examination was closed with double
row of silk sutures. a little oozing OF
the stomach contents had occurred
through the opening-all of which
was wiped away. a further enlarge
ment of the incision now became nee
essarv. in order to examine the dorsam
of the stomach, upon which another
opening was lOuAQ. LUIS was SutuIeu
in manner like unto the first, and the
sluggish hands of the clock marked
6. 12. The intestines were examined
for possible wounds, but happily none
were found, and these were wrapped in
moist, hot towels. \ previous hypo
dermic injection had been made, and
now twenty-five minims of brandy
were similarly administered. a fur
ther search for the missile failed to
discover, it, but it become apparent
that it had done no other vital dam
age, with the strong probability that
it lost itself in the thick lumbar mus
cles.
DR.. Roswell Park arrived about this
time-6. 25-and joined the staff as con
sultant. The abdominal cavity was
anrhod ,ri4h normal salt solution and