The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-09-17
CANGRENE CAUSED DEATH
Result Could Not Have Been
Averted By Any Surgical
Treatment.

AAouoC, LlAldkO, oSpC. LII
The following report of the autopsy
on the remains of President McKin-
ley was received at 5 o'clock.
The bullet which struck over the
breast bone did not pass through the
skin and did little harm. The other
bullet passed through both walls of
the stomach near it's lower border.
Both holes were perfectly closed by
the stitches but the tissue around
each hole has become gangrenous.
After passing through the stomach,
the bullet passed into the back walls
of the abdomen, hitting and tearing
the upper end Of the kidneys. This
portion Of the bullets track was also
gangrenous, the gangrene involving
the pancreas. The bullet has not yet
been found. There was no sign of
peritonitis or disease of other organs
The heart walls were very thin.
There was no evidence of any at
tempt at repair OF the part of nature
and death resulted from the gangrene
which affected the stomach around
the bullet wounds as we'll as the It's
, sues around the further course of
the bullet. Death was unavoidable
by any surgical or medical treatment
and was the direct result Of the bullet
wound.
Signed: Harvey d. Gaylord, M. D.;
Herman G.. Matzinger, M. D.; P. NJ.
Rixey, M. D.; Mathew Mann, M. D.;
Herman Mynter, M. D.; Roswell
Parkes, NJ. D.; Eugene Wasdin, NJ.
D.; Charles G. Stockton, M. D.; Ed
ward G. Janey, M. D.; w. Johnston,
M. D.; w. P. Kendall, surgeon U. S.
army; Charles Carey, M. D.; Edward
l.. Munson, assistant surgeon IT, S.
A.; Herman L. Baer. M. D.
Believed Bullet Was Poisoned.
Milburn House, Buffalo, Sept IA
Official announcement of the physi-
clans as a result of their autopsy on
the presidents body that death re-
suited from gangrene of the wounds
led to much discussion Of the issues
leading up to this gangrene. It de-
veloped that Dr.. Wasdin, one of the
consulting physicians and an expert
of high standing in the marine hos
pital service, strongly supported the
view that the murderous bullet had
been poisoned and that this was one
of the moving causes of the g%angrene-
ous condition. The area of this dead
and gangreneous flesh vas a source
of much surprise to the surgeons.
reaching a circumference about the
size of a silver dollar about the in
ternal wound.
The authorities and physicians
have received a number of kilograms
and letters alleging that the bullet
was poisoned. DR.. Mann said: 81
don't know whether it was or not.
Chemical OF meteorological examina-
ton of the remaining bullets in the
pistol will be necessary to determine
that. This conclusion would be very
difficult to reach for many reasons.
"All tissues through which the bull
let passed We're dead. This is very
remarkable, indeed, the area of dead
flesh in the stomach was perhaps as
great as a silver dollar in circum-
ference. DR.. Wasdin, marine hospital
expert, was strongly inclined to opin-
ion that the bullet had been poison
ed
"Just a word in conclusion" said
DR.. Mann. 81 think in behalf of the
other physicians and myself some
thing should be said about the bulle-
tins issued every, day. We aimed to
make them 0s plain as possible and
to state facts simply. Those were
givenfrom hour to hour, telling of the
presidents condition containing no
opinions, nor making any prognosti-
cation, simply a narration of the
conditions, made with a desire to
keep the public informed from day
to day of the actual state of affairs"
Another of the physicians who said
that his name should not be used,
said:
$50 far as treatment of the case
was concerned, both from a surgical
and medical standpoint it was sue
cessful. The abdominal wound was
fatal from the start. Physicians
should feel relieved over the result
of autopsy which revealed the fact
that the abdominal. wound was neces-
sarily fatal and that nothing that was
done or could be done would more
than delay the inevitable result"
No coroner's inquest was held.
Pursuing precedent laid down in the
case of Garfield, the simply