The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-19
PROPER SURGICAL
TREATMENT GIVEN
President McKinIey's Case Dis
cussed in Medical Journal.
DOCTORS ARE DEFENDED
WAS NO TECHNICAL FAULT IN
THE OPERATION.
DOCTORS ARE DEFENDED

New York, Sept. 1S.-The forthcom-
ing edition of the New York Medical
Journal will discuss the case of the late
President Mckinley in lengthy arti-
Gle. 1t viii say:
1t is melancholy consolation To
know that the fatal termination of
President McKinley's case was not in
the slightest degree due to any omis-
sion to give him the full benefit of all
the present resources of our art, and
here is nothing humil-ating in the fact
that the favorable prOgnOsis which for
five or six days seemed justified, should
nave finally proved fallacious.
1t Is expected that an Official report
OF the case viii be given to the pro-
tessiOn in the course of a short time
Pending the issue of the report let US
briefly review the case. At the time
ley probably was in better physical
condition than most men of his age
who lead a sedantry life. So far as is
Known, he was free from all organic
disease, though his vitality may have
been somewhat impaired by the fear
ful mental strain TO which the duties
of his office and its responsibilities and
anxieties had long subjected him.
he was suddenly cut down by a
cruel wound. but he bore it bravely.
and there was little of the condition
known as SHOCK This freedom from
shock was correctly interpreted as
showing that no considerable interval
hemm0rThage was going on. Without
delay he was taken to a well equipped
hospital and attended by surgeons OF
worldwide reputation and vast expert
ence- The operation itself was per-
formed by an exceedingly capable gym
ecologist. who was assisted by equally
capable general surgeons.
1t IS perfectly certain that there was
no technical fault in the operation and
II may be said with equal positiveness
that 1t would have verged on madness
10 prolong the search for the bullet af-
ter il had been ascertained that il had
not inflicted any very grave injury be-
yond that of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
that is to say. within the limitations
of warrantable efforts.
Pulse and Respiration.
THE operation having been finished
without seriously taxing the distin-
guished patients vital powers. there
followed al least five days of freedom
from serious symptoms. This we say
with full appreciation of the fact that
the record of the pulse and respiration
seemed ominous. for the high rate
might have been due to any one of a
number Of conditions not n themselves
of grave Importance. The hopeful view
was taken, and quite naturally it could
be so explained. 1t is easy to be wise
after the event and to say that in this
respect the surgeons were in error. Err
they certainly did. as the result shows,
but to err in such way argues no in
capacity or avoidable lack of Judgment
It simply, we repeat. illustrates the
fact that the medical man is not a per-
feet being
'Gangrene probably was established
two or three DAYS before the fatal issue
followed. but it could hardly have oc-
CURED very early without giving rise
to more disquieting phenomena than
augmentation of the pulse and respira-
ton. which. as we have said before,
might well have been due to some COM
paratively unimpOrtant disturbance.
To the wound of the kidney we attrib-
ute little importance further than
ireses from the fact that il made one
more traumatic surface to become gan
grenous. There is said to have been
a trif1ing degree Of homatura of brief
duration. but not enough to indicate a
very serious renal lesion.
The case of the profoundly lamented
here may may be set down as UNIQUE
in some of its features. not so much.
perhaps, as regards the actual trau-
matisrn inflicted by the assasfa's bullet.
as with regard to the deferred appear
ance OF the gangrenous process that
blotted out his fair prospects of recov-
cry"