The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-09-13
M'kINLEY 4 VERY SICK MAN
Food Taken in the Morning Yesterday at Which
Time Patient Was Feeling Unusually Well
Did Not Agree With Him.

sician of wide reputation, was called
/ in for the first time tonight, it being
| explained that the complication that
had arisen was one with which a
| physician and not a surgeon would
| have to deal.
| Secretaries Hitchcock and Wilson,
who were at the Milburn house until
| IL o'clock said when they departed
| that there was no cause for alarm;
that the trouble was in the stomach
and not in the wound and they believ-
| ed the presidents condition would be
! improved in the morning.
| Doctors Wasdin, Stockton and Rix-
/ ey remained at Milburn house during
| the night and were constantly in the
| room with the president. For hours
1 the president failed to respond to the
treatment to which he was subjected
to relieve the failure Of digestion and
| assimilation. The long process of
treatment added to the depression
that existed, but just at midnight re-
| lief came. He had two operations Of
tue bowels within a few minutes.
This gave great encouragement and
| changed the character. of the bulletin
which the physicians were even then
! writing.
The slight alarm which was felt
when the afternoon bulletin appeared
was increased when physicians as
1 sembled for their evening consulra
ton about an hour earlier than usual.
! The cheeriness of the morning was
succeeded by apprehension and a
/ dreary rain which began to fall added
4 to the gloomy feeling which prevail
ed. The bulletin was personally de-
4 livered to members of the press by
Secretary Cortelyou and the frank
ress with which the physicians an
ncnnced that the presidents condi-
| ton was not good, disquieting as it
was, was a relief, it was felt that
nothing was being concealed. 1t was
explained officially to the Associated
Press that the food which the pres
ident took this morning had not
agreed with him. The rise in his pulse
was attributed to that fact. It was
stated quite positively that the con-
sultation of physicians considered
that the failure to digest foods was
not due to the condition of the wounds
in the side of the stomach which
were believed to be practically hea!
ed and so pronounced ty DR.. Nc
Burney and his assistants.
The fact that the food would not
agree with the patient could not have
been anticipated, so it was stated,
but as soon as it was found that it
had not, administration of food by
mouth was discontinued. The prob
lem which now confronts the physi-
clans is to dispose of this undigested
food in the stomach. DIR. Mann, who
is considered chief surgeon in the alb
sence of DIR. McBurney, is confident
that the undigested food will pass
away during the night and that the
president will be better in the morn
ing.
The fatigue of the president noted
in the afternoon bulletin continued
during the evening and several times
the president rnurmured: 'I am so
| tired; am so tired
DR.. Charles D. Stockton, who has
a fine reputation as a general prac-
! ticisioner here, was called in at the
evening conference. The problem is
now one for the physicians, not sur
geons, and the advice and counsel Of
DR.. Stockton was considered advis-
able.
| After bulletin was issued two of the
physicians slipped away through the
side entrance, thus escaping the news
paper men. 1t was understood that
DIR. Mann and DR.. Stockton remained
at the Milburn house.
COMPLAINED OF FATIGUE.