Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1901-10-12
GARFIELD AND THE SURGEONS
As in McKinley's Case They Could No
Find Bullets.

The attempt TO assassinate President
Mckinley, and above all the failure oil
the surgeons to locate the second oui-
let of course turns the thoughts OF
every one 70 the plight OF President
Garfield when he lay for eleven weeks
and more suffering from the effects OF
Guiteau's bullet. the whereabouts OF
which the surgeons failed To discover
until the knife laid bare its course az
the autopsy.
Guitsan's Bullets,
Gen. Garfield was shot at $3.50 o'clock
in the morning OF Saturday, July z.
1881, In the ladies waiting-room OF the
Baltimore and Potomac Railroad IN
Washington, while he was walking
arm in arm with James q, Blaine HE
vas taken first TO 4 private room IN
the station and thence removed To the
White House He had been shot twice.
FIRST In the right arm. just below the
shoulder. and the second and fatal
time in the back. just above the right
hip and near the kidney. The SUR
geons who were hastily summoned
probed for the bullet without success,
but announced that It's course had been
downward and forward into the groin.
and that the wound was serious but
not likely 10 be- fatal. The wound In
the arm did not amount TO much, save
for the pain Il caused The President
retained consciousness. and when no
reached the White House he dictated a
telegram to Mrs. Garfield. who was at
Elberon. When he was shot down be
was on his way To meet her In Jersey
City, whence with some members OF
his cabinet he was 10 make a trip into
New England.
shock Caused By shooting.
President Garnelda recovery from
the shock OF the wounds was very
gradual Later attempts TO dad the
bullet failed. but there we're no signs
at once Of serious internal hcmor-
rhase and there vas ltttls external
bleeding. Both OF these symptoms DO.
veiupsd later In the afternoon. With
vomiting. and at 80 O'Clock the ply.
sicians said that the patient could not
recover, A former physician OF Gen
Gartield's said that the President had
very few chances The President main.
tanned his courage. kept clear head
aud continued cheerful through sun.
day. but he asked tbs doctors 10 toll
him II he was gotag 10 die Hopes %
the medical men gosr on sunday, but
on Sunday AZ midnight they had van
ished. Serious Inflammation had set
In during the evening ana az O'Clock
Vice President Arthur waa awaiting a
summons 70 tAe White H1usC 10 take
the oath Of Office.
Relieving Tho Pain.
BY noon Ut Monday the doctors had
relieved the pain, which uIl then had
been constant and whlch tho patient
had complained OF alt the time a. DO.
ing 10 his less and feet. Il was due
to the Injury q the nerves supplying
the extremiIie4 one New York sur.
Eeon said after me Presidents death
that these palms he complained Of
showed that there was trouble In tho
seiatic muscle region and that this In.
dlcation should have led the surEeoua
to make an IuciBlon there which would
have lot out tho pus which afterwards
caused 70 much trouble. At 2 O'Clock
on Sunday afternoon Gen. Garfield saia
he felt better than nj any time slnes
he was shot. Ho had then nulss 81
ITO, temperature 100 and reaptratton
"a. The examination up to that time
1t was announced. had only demon.
strated that the hulot was IN tho
neighborhood Of the liver.
Error or Physicians.
From then until the autnpay dla.
closed their error tho surgeona zpokc
OF the Presidents wound na having
penetrated the liver and stattstirs
were evoked for an Illustration Of tbs
chances OF life with such wound. /,
was found that Of 100 or lao cases Of
similar liver wounds in tho Civil war
twenty-three we're treated succsaafultv
The great danger in President Oar.
"H5 ACKNOWLEDGMENT To be- na
In the case Of President Mckinley now
In peritonitis, which II was said then
was almost always fatal On tho arx,
evening brandy and cracked Ice helnod
Gen. Garfield TO rally. But presen,iv
ne could not retain that. On tho soc.
ond evening champaign and cracked
ice aided him. Then his diet falI ~
MIX and lime water. with, later, aomo
chicken broth and rum Of OLD vintage
Waiting for Developments.
On the Tuesday following tho shoo,
ing the patient had as comfor,an,o .
day as could be expected ana ON W.
nesday there was tho same wo,,,n-
Tor developments. which II was honas
might be good, but feared wonis 49, y.
pad All that the doc,ors conld A.
was to try to keep the na,,o,. W
strength up. They feared blood moi,
oning all the time, but could do no,h
ing TO prevent It. az they did no,
Know the course OF the bullet Tha.
were all ready for instant opera,Ion
should II develop. as II il ala thara
must be instant onaratton - ,.,