The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-10-23
MeKINLEY'S DOCTORS
MAKE OFFICIAL REPORT.
They Do Not State Positively The
Cause of Death.

II, Will contain the 1ul1 Oinclal Tepofl
of the surgeons who attended the late
President Mckinley in Buffalo. The
reports contains upwards of Is, 00o
words and constitutes the official rec
ord of the case. The report IS signed
by the members of the medical staff
attending the late president. The re-
port of the autopsy is signed by DR..
Harvey r. GAYLORD while the report
on the archaeological examination
bears the signature Of DR.. Heran G.
Matzinger.
The important feature of the report
in the New York Medical Journal is
the emphasis with which Dr.. Matthew
D. Mann, speaking for his colleagues,
declares that there never under like
circumstances was more harmonious
and better agreed. band Of consultants, /"
thus setting aside the rumors Of dis
agreement among the attending physl-
clans and surgeons
The report describes in all detail the
events Immediately following the
shooting, which are already familiar
TO the public. Then follows a descrip-
ton of the operation in all technical
minutes. The utmost care was used
TO prevent Infection of the abdominal
cavity and Of the wound, by the most
approved modern methods of surgical
cleanliness. Speaking of the search
for the bullet during the operation, the
report says:
ssThe operation on the stomach now
being finished, DR.. Mann introduced
his arm SO as to palpate carefully ali
the deep structures behind the
stomach. No trace of the bullet, or
of the further track of the bullet could
be found. AS the introduction of the
hand in this way seemed to have had
a bad influence on the presidents
pulse, prolonged search for further
injury done by the bullet or for the
bullet itself was desisted FROM"
Further search might have caused
the death of the president upon the
operating table. At the close OF the
operation the surgeons present unanl-
mously assured DR.. Mann in answer
to his questions, that they were per-
fectly satisfied that everything that
was possible had been done and that
they had no further suggestions to
make. On the fifth day, September
10, took place the much discussed re-
moyal of stitches from the wound IN
the abdominal wall. The report says: !:
In the evening the dressings were
examined and, as this showed consider
able staining from the discharges, it
was thought best TO remove four
stitches and separate the edges of the
wound. A little slough was observed
near the bullet track, covering space
nearly an inch wide, the thickness OF
the flaps. The suppuration seemed
to extend down to the muscle
The findings at the autopsy as well
as the Developments of the case dur
ing the last days exclude all possibility
of absolute injury to the stomach by
premature giving of solid food, as was
alleged at the time VIXEN unfayorable
symptoms came on after changing to
solid diet. The only alarming symp-
tom was his rapid pulse, but as the
president had naturally rather rapid
pulse, and as it had been of fairly good
quality right along, the surgeons did
not attribute very great importance TO
this sign. On the seventh day, to-
wards noon. the pulse began to grow
weaker and grew rapidly worse.
Stimulants were given and The food was
discontinued, while castor oil and an
enema ef oxgall were given to move
the bowels. At midnight there was.
some improvement in the pulse, after
an Injection of salt solution into the
subcataneous tissues. On the eighth
day the condition of the president
was described as very serious as he
did not respond to stimulants.: Stimu-
lants and injections Of salt solution,
coffee, and broth were given, but with
ont much effect. At o'clock oxygen
was given and continued for some
hours. At $50 the president was rest
less, at 10 p. m., he lost consciousness
and continued to sink until he died at
2:15 a. m.. on Sept. 14th.
DIR. Gaylord's report of the autopsy
is lengthy and detailed. The gan
grenous cavity found behind the
stomach involved the pancreas and
the surrounding loose tissues, the
bottom of the blind pocket being
formed by the upper end OF the left
kidney which was found to be lace
rated at that point to the extent OF
about two centimetres,
The track of the bullet was then
traced through gangrenuos tissue in
the fat behind the kidney into the
muscles of the back wall of the abdo
men the direction of the bullet, how
ever, could not be traced any further.
Examination Of the heart muscle
showed that it was affected with we'll
marked fatty degeneration and in some
places the muscle fbres showed
groups of dark brown granules,
demonstrating a diseased condition of
the cardiac muscle.
DIR. Gaylord believes that the repair
to the stomach wounds had been effec-
tive and that the gangrene around
these wounds does not seem to have
been the result of any well defined
cause. He attributes the gangrenous
condition of the tissues solely to low
cred vitality in the parts. The ap-
pearance of the gangrenous tissues
shows that the gangrene took place
shortly before death.
The extensive gangrene Of the pan
creas seems to have been an important
e,o&,,r ~ tho ooco thouOh II had never