The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-19
COULDN'T BE HELPED
NEW YORK MEDICAL JOURNAL
DISCUSSES THE DEATH OF
PRESIDENT M'KINLEY
CASE WAS A PECULIAR ONE
GangrenOus Process Probably Start
ed Two to Three Days Before
the Death of the Distin-
guished Patient.

NEW YORK, Sept. 1S.-The forthcom-
ing edition of the New York Medical
Journal will discuss the case of the late
President Mckinley in a lengthy article.
1t will say:
1T is a melancholy consolation to
know that the fatal termination of Presi-
dent McKinley's case was not in the
slightest degree due to any omission to
give him the full benefit of all the pres
ent resources of our art; and there is
nothing humiliating in the fact that the
favorable prognosis, which for five or
six days seemed justified should have
finally proved fallacious.
cit is expected that an official report
of the case will be given to the profession
in short time. Pending the issue of the
report, let us briefly review the case.
At the time of his assassination, Presi-
dent Mckinley was probably in better
physical condition than most men of his
age who lead a sedentary life. So far
as is known, he was free from all organic
disease, though his vitality may have
been somewhat impaired by the fearful
mental strain to which the duties of his
office and it's responsibilities and
anxieties had long subjected him.
He was suddenly cut down by a cruel
wound, but he bore it bravely and there
was little of the condition known as
correctly interpreted as showing that no
considerable internal hemorrhage was
going on Without delay he was taken
to a well equipped hospital and attended
by surgeons of worldwide reputation and
vast experience. The operation itself
was performed by an exceedingly capable
gynaecologist, who was assisted by
equally capable general surgeons. 1t is
perfectly certain that there was no
Ton, WIT fo11 IT,,
may be said with equal positiveness that
it would have verged on madness to pro-
long the search for the bullet after it
had been aScertained that it had not in
fiicted any very grave injury beyond that
of the stomach-ascertained that is to
say, within the limitations of warrant
able efforts
THE operation having been finished
without seriously taxing the distinguish
ed patients vital powers, there followed
at least five days of freedom from serious
symptoms. This, with full appreciation
of the fact that the record of the pulse
and respiration seemed ominous for the
high rate, might have been due to any
one of number of conditions not In
themselves of a grave Importance. The
hopeful view was taken and quite nat
urally that it could be so explained 1t
is easy to be so wise after the event and
to say that in this respect the surgeons
were in error; err they certainly did, as
the result shows, but to err in such a
way argues no incapacity or avoidable
lack of judgment-it simply, we repeat
illustrates the fact that the medical man
is not a perfect being.
"Gangrene was probably established
two or, three days before the fatal issue
followed, but it could hardly have oc-
CURED very early without giving rise to
more disquieting phenomena than aug
mentation of the pulse and respiration
rates, which, as we have said before.
might well have been due to some COM
paratively unimportant disturbance. To
the wound of the kidney we attribute lit
tie Importance further than arises from
the fact that it made one more traumatic
surface to become gangrenous. There is
said to have been trifiing degree of
haematuria of brief duration, but not