The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-09-20

VITALITY
Medical News Thus States
Cause of McKinley's Death.
NOT DOCTORS FAULT
They Deserve Admiration and
Sympathy, Not Criticism.
WOUND is DISCUSSED
Gangrenous Condition Was
Not Different From Others

New York. Sept. 1s,-The Medical News
in its issue of September p. VIII print
review Of President McKinleys case from
medical point OF view. The article re-
cites the circumstances OF the shooting
and reprints the official report OF the au-
topsy srd certain unofficial statements
credited by the press to the doctors in
attendance. 1t then takes Up the subject
of the gangrenous condition OF the wound
and in this connection. says: 1.-The
gangrene. extensive as IT was. seems TO
Us not SO different from others observed
under analogous circumstances as TO re
quire the assumption Of exceptional
causes for its explanation. Necrosis OF
tissue in thinner or thicker cylinder
along tie track Of 4 bullet Is thought
to be the rule and ordinarily it is easily
taken care of by liquidation and ABSORB
ton and necrosis even Of a considerable
extent in feeble patients about sutured
wound is certainly not known even If
rare, and is explained by Interference
with the local circulation either By ten
sion CT by the spread OF coadjulation
within tire blood vessels The spread OF
the process in a patient Of low reparatlve
power would not he 50 very exceptional
or surprising. Was the president srch
patient? Apparently he was. According
TO Dr. Wasdin, when the incision was re-
opened toward the end OF the fifth day.
no effort was required TO open it
throughout its entire length although
only the track of the bullet was affected.
That expression would hardly have been
used unless he had intended TO indicate
that the amount of repair usual after
that lapse OF time had not taken place.
Then the president was Ifty-eight years
of age, mad led a sedentary. laborous
and anxious life. and had a complexion
and appearance which for some years
had been commented upon as indicative
of impaired vitality.
1T IS evident that the surgeons. not
ably Drs. Mann and Mynter. with whom
the first decision lay. acted with Gem
mendable promptitude and courage IN
undertaking the operation. and showed
excellent judgment in its course ard slSiIl
in it's execution. They did all that could
properly have been done and nothing that
should have been left undone. The usual
causes OF death after such injury and
operation were escaped or removed or
prevented and their patient succumhed
TO a complication which is so rare that
1t could not reasonably have been an
ticipatcd. and could not have been
averted. The president died because he
could not carry on processes Of repair
and because the effort to do so was more
than the vitality OF the tissue involved
could support. This. Of course. excluded
the possible presence OF poison brought
by the bullet or Of destructive action by
the pancreatic juices. II either OF these
was a factor il needs only to substitute
II in tho statement for the assumed de-
fective vitality Of the patient Whatever
cause acted. it was urrecognizable at the
operation and uncomfortable then or sub
eesuently.
There has been some criticism Of tho
confident assurances Of recovery made
by those in attendance after the fifth day.
To US the progress Of tho case Up 70 that
tine appears fully to have justified these
assurances and the public anxiety TO
have required them"
The review OF the case closes with the
following reference 70 the doctors:
They did their work alklfuily and 81
diciously. their behavior vas disnihed.
restrained. and worthy Of the best ira
6iuous Of the profession, and they had
tho misfortune. when success semeed 70
have been secured, OF seeing II ever
thrown BY a complication which could
not have been forEeen nor avoided. They
deserve cur admiration and sympathy,
not our criticism