New-York tribune., 1901-09-21
MANY DEFEND OPERATION
THEY SAY THAT MKINLEY'S SURGEONS
DID ALL THAT 1T WAS POS
SIBLE TO DO

Since the report the autopsy performed on the
body of President Mckinley made public, a
number Of well known physicians and surgeons
have criticised unfavOrably the work of the medt-
cal men in the Presidents case. These criticisms
have Jared the feelings of hosts Of medical prac
titioners and are signs OF a coming strife in medi-
cal circles. Those wno think that the physicians
and surgeons who attended the President should be
praised and censured are beginning TO make
their voices heard in forceful n amer
DR.. john T. Kennedy. whc was one ct the sur
geons in the Union army In the Civil war; SAID
yesterday Tribune reporter:
II is ptiabie thing to ~sse adverse critclsm c;n
being heape9 upon the en,ll'e rnsn no, no seroed
to he high road to recove- everyocdy IN b olie
queta of praise but now they are held up ioi
In view of tho light in which the case Is now
known the wound was mortai wound and no
resources in medical science could have saVeu 'ne
patient.
17c APPROVES DIR. PRUDDEN's REMARKS
To say that the operation in some respects was was
faulty as a number of well known physicians ana
surgeons have said is expressing an opi,'9h paSeo n,
on doubtful testimony. i am sure thst the ma
jor;ty Of lay people and the medical men OF th the
prompt. considsrate and skiifni treatment given to
tho President. / read what Dr. r Mitchell m frud, q,
the autopsy on the case, DIR. Prudden said that
things medical science could Id, not e Go banT ann
done for the President was done.
,ost aroi2ert mai biologists in the world and his
views on the report autopsy should be care
fully, read by those who seem to hold dinereh'
opinions.
DR. John y. Huber said:
The Presidents death inevitable No hu.
man agency could have saved him. me SKI! Oh
less and the technique oc ths operation was ideal
the autopsy demonstrated tn, ,.,., s,,,,o
life as was demonstrated by the blood test which
n5,baa 5nado Of on pb te hood @ We're veraed
skill could rave repaired the injury 10 o,1 tne
FponFeke saSh sand And any atempt had been
made repair the kidney; n'beGded as II was IN IN
its mass of fat The President must surrey nave
died upon the operating table
COMMENT BY THE MEDICAL NEWS
THE Medical News" says in a review of Presi-
dent McKinleys case:
The gangrene extensive as il was, seems to u us
ogoiIs circumstances as To require the assumption
Of exceptional causes for its explanation Necrosis
the track OF a bullet thought be the rule, and
and absorption And necrosis, even OF consider,
able extent in feeble patients. about sutured e
is explained by Interference With the ocs c., crcnIa
On BY ib tension bo0d Sesss Ss by the spread OF
The spread of the process in a patient OF low
or surprising Was the President such patient :
Apparently he was According to pr wsuh, d Of wis tb
Afth day mo effort" was required to open III II
FacE of the Bullet was Affected That expression
would hardly have been used unless he had IN,
!
after that lapse of time had not taken place hen zen
The President was ffty-eight years OF age had ied
"A seGentary, laborious and ANXIOUS IRE, ana htu a
complexion and appearance which for some years
had been commented upon as indicative OF lHi-
paired vitality.
n is evident that the surgeons. notably Lrs.
| Mann and Mynter with whom the hrst declslon
| Law acted with Commendable promptitude ahu
| courage in undertaking the operation, ana sho"td
excellent Judgment In its course and SIKH N Ns
execution. They did all that could properly nays s
been done and nothing that should have feen leIt
undone. The usual causes OF death aftcr Sucil IN
| Jury and operation were escaped or removed OF
| their patient sucSumDed TO com
pcation which is rare that VI could NOT teisoIi-
| ably have been anticipated. and could not nave
| been avered. The President lied because ne coulC
not carry the processes Of repair ana pea US.
| the effort to do more than the VltaHty oil
the tissues involved could support This or course
| excluded the possible presence OF poison brought
! create Juices If either of those factor 1t
needs substitute IL in the statement for the
| assumed defective vitality of the patient ma
| acted, 1t unrecOgnzabe AT tne
operation and uncomfortable then or subsequently.
| There has been criticsin OF the confident
| of recovery made by those IN attend
! ance after the fifth day To the progress OF the
case up that time appears fully to nave Justified
those and the public anxiety 10 have re-
| Qured them
! The review the closes with the following
| reference to the doctors:
They did Their work skilfully and iudiciously;
| their behavior diFnied restrained and worthy
of the best traditions of the profession. ana they
! had the misfortune, when success seemed 10 nave
been secured of seeing II overthroWn by conpil-
cation which could have been foreseen or
| pathy, not criticism.
|