The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-01
APPROVAL OF M'KINLEY'S SUR
GEONS.
High English Authority Shows That
His Treatment Was without Fault.


High English Authority Shows That
His Treatment Was without Fault.
From the Lancet.
In considering the reason or reasons
of the fatal issue of the case we may
leave out of consideration the bullet
itself; where 1t was lodged 1t could do
no harm, and time and the patients
strength would have been wasted In
searching for it. The injury to the
kidney also appears to have been of
Their considered. The damage to the
pancreas was probably unimportant,
though it has been suggested that the
escape of pancreatic juice may have
caused, or assisted in causing, the
"gangrene" of the bullet track de-
scribed in the account of the necropsy.
This is hardly likely as the gan
CREME was found also in the wounds
of the stomach wall. The peritoneum
and the wounds of the stomach remain
to be considered. There seems to be
no evidence that at any time was there
any peritonitis, and this was confirmed
by the absence of leucocytsis, the
blood having been examined several
times during the patients life. 1t does
not appear from the account of the
necropsy that any meteorological ex-
animation was made of the peritoneal
wall or fluid. Still, we shall probably
not be wrong in assuming that no peri
tonitis was present. The empty condi-
ton of the stomach prevented extrava-
sation occurring, at least to any great
extent. The wounds in the stomach
were sutufed with a minimum of de-
lay, and apparently no leaking oc-
| Cured
How shall we account for the gan
creme" of the margins of the wound?
| There is no need to suspect any pois-
oned bullet, and the supposition that
such a bullet was used was probably
due to the fervid Imagination of a re-
| porter. not unwilling to pile horror
upon horror. 1t is by no means rare
to find after revolver wounds of the
stomach wall that but little attempt at
repair is made. This is to be attribut-
ed in part to the local action of the
| gastric juice and in part to the pa
tents general state. The pathological
condition has been met with before and
will doubtlessly often occur again.
Surgery does all of which it is at pres
ent capable. The wound is carefully
sutured and the peritoneal cavity is
aseptic. and yet healing does not oc-
cur. The bruised gastric wall has not
sufficient vitality to recover and it
makes no effort.
The favorable prognosis which was
put forth at first was so far justified
that in some cases recovery might
have followed. but the issue hardly
comes as a surprise. The injuries were
terrible, the patient was no longer
young and the circumstances were
such as to produce, even in a man Of
iron courage, the maximum of shock
If we may venture to criticise any por-
ton of the treatment we feel inclined
TO suggest that the feeding by the
mouth was somewhat in excess of that
which is usually considered advisable
| But while we say this we know that
| 10 the brilliant surgeons and expert
enced physicians around President Nc
| kinley's bed there may have been in
dications for the holder treatment inn
possible to be disregarded. In short
on a careful review of the whole case
we feel justified I'm saying that surgery
did its best the sad result is to be as
cribed to the lack Of vitality of the
tissues themselves.