The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-17
Gives a Scientific Explana-
ton of His Belief.
DR.. PACK, r DOtS NOT AGREE WITH HIM
DR.. Mynter Pooh Poohs the Idea. DR.
Mann Thinks it q Difficult Cues.
ton. Cartridges in Czolgosz'
Pistol to be Exa mined
(By the Associated Press. J

after President Mckinley had been shot
Tumors were rife that acting under a
general order of anarchy the assassin
had probably poisoned the bullets. The
carly days Of splendid improvement in
tho patients condition dispelled these
nnal collapse began. This morning they
found their way into the ltopsy room
and when the gangreneous condition IF
the tissues in the course of the bullet
was discovered. discussion was had as to
whether or not the assassin had used
poison to make more complete his dead
ly work.
OF the doctors who have attended Pres
idcnt Mckinley through his struggle for
life and who were at the autopsy this
morning, but one can be found who posi-
lively states it as his belief that the bull
let of the murderer was poisoned. This
doctor is Eugene Wasdin, an expert in
yellow fever cases who has lately made
this city his home and who is familiar
with the action of poisons in the human
body DR.. Wasdin's opinion during the
progress of the case was much valued
by the other physicians and his theory
as to The poisonous matter upon the bull
let - herewith given:
DR. WASDIN'S THEORY.
Tho brcastbone wound showed a big
impact. Still the area of infiltration of
sub-cutancous tissues was entirely too
extensive to be accounted for from coil
fusion or the force of the bullet. The
sub cutancous tissues were in partial
ly gangreneous condition. The bullet that
went into the abdomen and penetrated
the stomach, also was followed by ex-
tensiye necrosis of tissue or gangrene
wherever 1t passed. The skin wound on
the point of entrance was livid gangrene-
Gus and this process extended to the en-
= tire line of invasion made by the surgeons
through the abdominal wall. The point
of entrance into the stomach was nectrot-
ic or gangrencous. The sutures made
by the surgeons were still intact at the
autopsy but the line of sutures were
surrounded by a nctrotic area through
the entire thickness of the stomach wall
and extending on all sides about one and
one half to two inches. The same is
true of the wounds of exit of the bullet
on the posterior wall Of the stomach
which was also still closed by sutures in
the centre of an extensive area of ne
crosis. The further passage of the bullet
through the soft tissues of the back
where it became imbedded was also sur
rounded by necrotic tissue. These diff
ferent nccrotic areas all had the same
appearance as to time of duration-that
is they were due to the same influence
acting at the same time. All these con-
ditions lead me to believe that there has
been an influence eXcrted by the passing
bullet through these entirely dissimilar
to that influence exartcd by an ordinary
missile. In this case there was not the
appearance of single effort at natural
repair at any point along the track of the
bullet
THE influence speak Of might be eth
or bacterial-thc microbc being carried in
on the bullet and giving rise to a growth
of bacteria in the abdominal cavity with
resulting peritonitis and possible alb
scess, or in the case of some rare germs
TO necrosis of tissue. From bacteriologi-
cal observations made thus far this does
not seem to be the case. There was no
peritoIitis or rus formation at any point
within the abdominal cavity, only the
gangrcncous influence from the bullet
which from these facts | believe to have
been due to some possible organic poison
placed on the bullet Further mactrierol-
ogical tests are in process and possibly
q germ capable of giving rise to this
gangreneous condition of tissues may be
found. But the presence OF gangrene
only at the passage of the wounds and
the length of time-seven days-requlred
for the necrotic or gangreneous changes
rather convince me that it is not bac-
terial influence, but must be due to some
organic poison.
Tests were mad of gangreneuos
material when the stitches in the Presi-
dents wound were removed and the
wound redressed. They have not shown
as yet the presence of gangrene produc-
ing communicating theoretically to the
opinion that the bullet was coated with
some poisonous substance"
VIEWS OF THE OTHERS.
DR.. Roswell Park. when asked as to the
likelihood of the bullet being poisoned
said:
Il do not think that the bullet was
poisoned.
How then do you explain the gan
erroneous conditions?
81 fail to subscribe them to the theory
that the bullet was poisoned for the
often seen bullet wounds similar to those
which resulted in the Presidents death
in cases where no question of poisoned
bullets was raised.
Or. Herman Mynter pooh-hoo the idea
that the bullet was poisoned.
pr Mann did not know whether the
bullet was poisoned or not and said 1t
would be difficult to determine.
superintendent of Police Bull said to-
night regarding the POISONED bullet theory
that -,~.-'-~ had yet been done TO lnVes-
tigate it but that fhe nolce would begin
work on 1t immediately he SAID that
the cartridges had not yet been removed
from Czolgosz's pistol 1t Is still in eX-
actly the condition it was when 1t was
wrenched from the hands OF the priS-
cner.
The city chemist will probably be asked