Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-09-19
GAHGRENE CAUSED DEATH.


may nave Been HOisoneu.
Buffalo, N. Y, Sent. 10. -Coroner
James ". Wilson OF Erie county today
issued a certificate Of death in Presi-
dent Mckinley q case stating that the
cause of death was ''gangrene of both
walls Of the stomach and of the pan
creas, following gunshot wounds. ~
The following report Of the autopsy
upon the body Of President Mckinley
has been Issued:
"The bullet which struck over the
breastbone did not Iass through the
skin and did little harm. The other
bullet PASSED through both walls of
the stomach near its lower border.
Both holes were found TO be perfectly
closed by the stitches, but the tissue
around each hole had become gan
grenouH.
After passing through the stomach
the bullet passed into tine back walls
of the abdomen, hitting and tearing
the upper end OF the kidney. This
portion Of the bullet track was also
gangrenous, tine gangrene involving the
pnncreRs
1.-The bullet has not yet been found.
There was no sign Of peritonitis or dis
ease OF other organs. The heart walls
we're very thin. There was no evidence
Of any attempt to repair on the Part of
nature, and death resulted from the
gaGgrene which affected the stomach
around the bullet wounds, as we'll as
the tissues around the further course
of the bullet. Death was unavoidable
by any surgical or medical treatment
and was the direct result of the bullet
wound.'
The report is signed by Drs. Harvey
D. Gaylord, Herman g. Matyinger, Z.
NJ. Rixey, Matthew d. Mann, Hermann
Mynter, Roswell Parke. Eugene Wasdin.
Charles G. Stockton, Edward q. Jane
way, W. W. Johnston, W. =. Kendall,
Charles Gary, Edward L. Munson and
Hermanus L. Baer.
II think the report" DIR. Mann snid.
"shows very plainly that the location
of the bullet had nothing to do with
the final outcome Of the case. That
resulted from gangrene, which appeared
in the Path of the bullet Even our
efforts to locate it, as stated in the re-
port. were unsuccessful. Believe it
went into the muscles at the small of
the back. We followed the hole made
by the bullet until 1t went into the
muscles. We searched one and one half
hours or the missile of death. The
X-ray instrument was mt used, as the
appliances were not handy. The serious
damage was done to the organs through
which the bullet passed mot to the
locality where IL now rests. +"
THE report says the heart walls were
thin. Was this condition peculiar to
the President or is 1t common com
plant? Did the use Of smoking tobacco
by the President have any important
bearing on the case2'' was asked.
- man whose heart walls are very
thin, - replied DIR. Mann, sis usually
one who leaus u sedentary life and
whose heart gets no great amount OF
exercise. This organ. like any other,
requires active exercise to keep 1t in
proper condition. No doubt the Presi
DENTS heart was sufficient for him in
his ordinary business affairs of life
when no strain. was required. When
extraordinary efforts vera necessary the
heart was unable TO meet them.
No. dom t think the smoking habit
affected the Presidents heart to the
extent Of making it figure in the result
| in his case. He was not great smoker,
4 AID at one time we even considered the
propriety OF permitting him to have a
cigar.
SAYS BULLET WAS POISONED.
| DIR. Wasdin is the ohly one of the
physicians who positively states his
belief that the bullet was poisoned.
He said:
1.-The breasthone wound showed big
impact Still tine area of Intiltration oil
| suhcutaneous tissues vas entirely too
extensive to be accounted for from cou-
! fusion of the force of the bullet. The
subcutaneous tissues were in partially
gaugreEous condition. The bullet that
went into the abdomen and penetrated
the stomach also was followed by ex-
tensive necrosis of tissue or gangrene
wherever 1t passed. The skin wound
on tne point of entrance was liyid gan.
grerous, and this rrocess sxtended to
the entire line OF invasion made by the
surgeons through the abdominal wall.
1.-The point of entrance into the
stomach was neCrotic- or gangrenous.
The sutures made by the surgeons were
still intact at the autopsy, but the line
of sutures was surrounded by necrotic
area through the entire thickness oil
the stomach wall and extending on al