New-York tribune., 1901-10-18
REPORT ON M'KINLEY CASE
DOCTORS WHO ATTENDED HIM SAY
WOUND SHOWED no SIGN OF BLOOD
POISONING SAID TO
BE WELL ANSWERED.
BE WELL ANSWERED.

The New-York Medical Journal will contain in
its issue the full official report Of the
surgeons and physicians who attended President
Mckinley. This report was read by DR.. Matthew
d. Mann who performed the operation on the
President at a gathering Of medical men at Roch-
ester some days ago. and a meeting OF the State
Medical Society in this city on Tuesday. The sub
stance OF the comments on the report made by
DR.. Mann at these meetings was printed in The
Tribune "Wednesday.
The report is signed by Drs. P. n. Rxey Mat
thew D. Mann Herman Mynter. Roswell Park.
Eugene Wasdn, Charles McBuTney and Charles G.
Stockton, members Of the official staff attending
the late President. The report OF the autopsy is
signed by DR.. Harvey r. Gaylord, patholegfst TO
the New-York State Pathological Laboratory. while
the report the meteorological examination bears
the signature OF DR. Herman G. Matzinger. bae-
teriologist the NewYork State Pathological Lab
oratory.
According to a well known physician of this city
the report that the physicians signing it have
answered a forceful manner the theories Of most
OF the medical who adversely criticised them
DR.. Mann, speaking for his colleagues declares
that there never under Ike circumstances, was
more harmonious and better agreed band Of con-
sutants
The report describes in detail the events imme-
diately following the shooting, which are already
familiar to the public Then follows technical
description of the operation. In his comments on
the report of the operation, DR.. Mann particularly
emphasizes the disadvantages under which he
labored when suturing the wounds in the stomach
with the failing light OF a September afternoon
Speaking the unsuccessful search for the bullet
when the operation was performed the report says
further search might have caused the death OF the
patient upon the operating table. At the close OF
the operation. the surgeons present assured Dr.
Mann that they satisfied that everything that
possible had been done, and that they had no
further suggestions to make
The report then continues with the history OF
the after the operation. The bulletins as given
out by the attending physicians are incorporated
in the report. On the fifth day. September TO- TOOK
place the much discussed removal OF stitches from
the wound in the abdominal wall. The report says:
In the evening the dressings were examined and
as there was considerable staining from the dis
charges It thought best remove four stitches
and to separate the edges OF the wound. A little
slough was observed the bullet track, covering
a space nearly an inch wide the thickness Of the
flaps. The suppuration seemed to extend down to
healthy. the report continues and IL was thought
that the infection was due to the bullet or to a
wound at the time of the shooting.
The findings at the autopsy declares fhe report OIL
last days exclude all possibility OF absolute INJURY
as was alleged at the time when unfavorable symp-
toms came on after a change to solid diet on the
dcted There no sign Of blood poisoning or or
ing symptom was the Presidents rapid pulse.
Toward OF the seventh day, the report goes
rapidly worse Stimulants were given and the food
discontinued At midnight there was an improve
ent in the pulse after an injection Of salt solution
into the subcutaneous tissues. On the eighth day
the condition OF the President described as
very serious he did not respond to stimulation
At 5 O'Clock oxygen given and continued for
some hours. At $50 the President was restless Al
10 he lost consciousness and continued to sink
until ne died at 2 a. m Hep'e6fr taf Rtgen ravs
should have been used TO locate the bullet, DR..
e aeh ahy SS signs thas Ihe buie Was doing harm
To have used the ray simply TO have satisfied ned
Had there been signs of abscess formation, then
the X rays could and would have been used"
nothing OF Importance was noticed about the wound
on the chest caused by the first shot. The abdom-
sloughng. No Inflammation Of the peritoneum was
found The track Of the bullet was traced through
the muscles OF the back wall of the abdomen. The
direction Of the bullet however could not be traced
any further In spite OF an eiLorss me O9et couu
not be found, and the autopsy mad 10 be dlscon-
tnued, because the time allotted to II by the family
OF the President had been exceeded Dr. GAYLORD
gained by locating the bullet. which had set up n"
Ieaction."
DR. Gaylord believes that the repair to the
stomach wounds was effective. and says that the
gangrene around these wounds does not seem to
have been the result of any well defined cause. The
wound in the kidney. he continues. was Of no i'm
portance except as showing the track OF the bullet
The report Of the bacterioloeist is largely what
the doctors call negative In other words. II con-
ence A culture taken from the wound before death
ing IL is rather expected In such cases There
puration, and gas forming germ OF unknown
identity As the result OF examination Of various
tissues and fluids removed after death, DR.. Mat
Finger concludes that bacterial infection was not a
factor IN the production OF the condition found in
the autopsy.
bullets and the contents OF the cartridge cham
bers the murderers pistol showed that there was
poisonous material thus disposing OF the theory
OF q poisoned bullet.