Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-09-16


evidence of any attempt at repair on
he part of nature, and death resulted
rom the gauerens which affected the
,tomacb srouad the bullet wounds, s5
yell as the tissues around the further
course of the bullet. Death was IN
ayoidable by any surgical or medical
and was the direct result OF
he bullet wound.
Harvey d. Gaylord, NJ. ID.
Herman G. Malzinger, NJ. ID.
P. n. Rixey, NJ. ID.
Matthew ID. Mann, Nj. ID.
Herman Mynter, NJ. d.
Roswell Park, M. d.
Eugene Wssdin, nj. ID.
Cbas. G.. Stockton, NJ. ID.
E1w g Janeway, Al. ID.
w. W. Johnson. NJ. d.
W.P. Kendall, Surgeon U. 5. Army.
Chas. Cary, NJ. D.
Edward l.. Hunson, Assistant Sur
geon u. S. A.
Hermanus l.. Baer, NJ. ID.
The autopsy was desired TO deter
mine the exact cause OF death. During
the last two or three days some OF the
doctors inclined to the belief that the
shot that struck the breast bone was
LARGELY responsible for death. The I'm
pact FROM the bullet was very severe,
and this, it was thought by some, had
nroduoed shock on the heart muscles.
The autopsy was performed by DR..
GAYLORD and DR.. Matzinger, of the New
York State Laboratory, connected with
the University OF Buffalo, 10 the pres
ence OF the entire slsf OF consulting
physicians. =.
The report has caused good deal OF
comment. 1t Is remembered by nearly
everybody that the confultlDg physl-
clans more than once announced that
there we're no signs of blood poisoning.
Blood was taken from one OF the Presl-
dents ears, and a microscopical read
ing of it, it was announced in an OIL
cisl bulletio, failed to reveal TIE pres
ence OF blood poisoning. The autopsy
seems to show that it was blood pols-
oping around the bullet holes, and
nothing else, which caused death. 1t
is reported that the various diagnoses
of the Presidents condition are sure to
come up for acrimonious discussion IN
medical circles. No Buffalo physician
has had the temerity as yet to assert
that the Presidents life under any cir
cumstanoes could have bsen saved. but
there are many physicians who are sur
prised that no traces OF blood poisoning
were detected until the autopsy was
performed.
When DR.. Herman Mynter, one OF the
consulting physicians, was asked for
statement, he said;
The operation performed by DIR.
Mann, from a surgical point of view,
was perfect. The wounds In both walls
OF the stomach were perfectly closed by
the sutures. The wound 10 the kid
neys was slight, sim ply carrying
away very small piece from the'up
per part of the organ, and In itself did
not contribute materially to the fioal
result. 1t was the gangreDe which de-
yeloped all along the track OF the bull
let that caused Mr.. McKinley's death
This condition bad developed to an
amazing extent In the week since the
wound was inflicted. The stomach was
so badly affected by ganRrene, that II
the President had lived until tomorrow
the walls Of the organ would have been
perforated in several places.
"Were there 10 outward indications
at any time during Mr.. McKinley's ILL
ness Of the gangrenous condition3" ask
ed the reporter.
THAT is a matter about which must
be silent" replied DR.. Mynter. 1--WE
have agreed not to talk about that at
present"
DR.. Mynter reafirmed the declara.
ton that nothing could have been done
to save the Presidents life. He added
that cultures had been taken from dil'
ferent spots along the track OF the bull
let. and that an examination OF these
would be made TO asnertain the nature
of the poisoning germs.
1t developed that DIR. Wasdio, one OF
the consulting physicians and an ex-
pert of high Standing 10 the marine hos
pital service, strongly supported the
view thst the murderous bullet bad
been poisoned, aud that this was one OF
the moving causes OF the gangrenous
condition. The area OF this dead and
gangrened flesh was a source Of much
sursrise TO the surgeons, reaching a cir
conference about the size Of silver
dollar about the internal wounds, and
the gangrene found 10 the path of the
bullet is thought to be strong Evidence
10 support of this view by DR.. Wasdin.
A chemical and meteorological ex-
animation of the remaining bullets 10
the pi ,tol will, however, confirm or
abolish this theory, and such en- exami-
nation will undoubtedly be made at
once by the authorities.
But whether this theory is establish.
ed or not, il seems probable that the
result of the autopsy will give rise to q
medical controversy. The gsngreDed
condition of the interior wounds, which
the physicians thought we're healed
and the fact that the physicians 40
nouuced positively that the kidney
which the bullet tore in its passage
through the abdomen was unibjured
were SO contrary to what was expected
by the public, after the statement o
the physician during the progress o
the case, that discussion seems inevi
table.
The poisoned bullet theory might, o
course, account for the sudden ant
puzzling reversal of President McKin
ley's condition iust when the ply
siciaos laid such great stress upon bi