Evening star., 1901-09-16


be used In assassination and even went so
far as to mention the kinds of poison to
be used. N q M
GANGRENE CAUSED DEATH.
Autopsy Shows Startling Facts-BuIIet
May Have Been Poisoned.
Coroner James F. Wilson of Erie county.
N. Y. yesterday issued a certificate of
death in President McKinley's case, stat
ing that the cause of death was "gangrene
of both walls of the stomach and Of the
pancreas following gunshot wounds"
The following report Of the autopsy upon
the body of President Mckinley has been
issued:
THE bullet which struck over the breast
bone did not pass 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 tis-
sue around each hole had become gangren-
Gus.
After passing through the stomach the
bullet passed into the back walls of the
abdomen, hitting and tearing the upper end
of the kidney. This portion of the bullet
track was also gangrenous, the gangrene
involving the pancreas.
The bullet has not yet been found. There
was no sign of peritOnits or disease of
other organs. The heart walls We're very
thin. There was no evidence of any at
tempt at repair on the part of nature, and
death resulted from the gangrene which af-
fected the stomach around the bullet
wounds, as well 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. Matzinger, P. M.
Rixey. Matthew D. Mann, Hermann Myn-
ter, Roswell Parke. Eugene Wasdin, Chas.
G. Stockton. Edward G. Janeway, w. w.
Johnston, w. p Kendall, Charles Cary.
Edward L. Munson and Hermanus L. Baer.
DR.. Mann Explains.
Il think the report" DR.. Mann said.
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 report. were unsuccessful.
believe it went into the muscles at the
small of the back. We followed the hole
made by the bullet until it went into the
muscles. We searched one and one-half
hours for the missile of death. The X
ray instrument was not used, as the appli-
ances were not handy. The serious damage
done to the organs through which the bull
let passed-not to the locality where it now
rcsts.'
1.-The report says the heart walls were
very thin. Was this condition peculiar to
the President or is it a common complaint?
Did the use of smoking tobacco by the
President have any important bearing on
the case?" was asked
"A man whose heart walls are very thin'
replied DIR. Mann, lis usually one who leads
a sedentary life and whose heart gets no
great amount of exercise. This organ like
any other, requires active exercise to keep
it in proper condition. No doubt the Pres
6nnff ri wa ianf fny. h i'm, i,, h
ordinary business affairs of life when
strain was required. When extraordinary
efforts were necessary the heart was un-
able to meet them.
mo, l don't think the smoking habit az
fected the Presidents heart to the extent
of making it figure in the result in his case
He was not great smoker. and at one
time we even considered the propriety OF
permitting him to have a cigar"
Says Bullet Was Poisoned.
DR.. Wasdin is the only one of the physi-
clans who positively states his belief that
the bullet was poisoned. He said:
1.-The breastbone wound showed a big i'm
pact. Still the area of infiltration of sub
cutaneous tissues was entirely too exten-
sive to be accounted for from confusion Of
the force of the bullet. The subcutaneous
tissues were in partially gangrenous con-
dition The bullet that went into the abdo-
men and penetrated the stomach also was
followed by extensive necrosis of tissue or
gangrene wherever it passed. The skin
wound on the point of entrance was livid
gangrenous, and this process extended to
the entire line of invasion made by the sur
geons 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 a necrotic area through the
entire thickness of the stomach wall and
extending on all sides about one and one
11o1 Oh t.
wounds of exit of the bullet on the pos
terror wall of the stomach. which was also
still closed by sutures in the center OF an
extensive area of necrosis.
A Path Of Gangrene.
''Fhe further passage OF the bullet
through the soft tissues Of the back. where
1t became imbedded. was also surrounded
by necrotic tissue. These different necrotio
areas all had the same appearance as to
time of duration-that Is. they were due to
the same influence acting about the same
lieve that there has been an influence ex-
erted by the passing bullet through these
tissues entirely dissimilar to the influence
exerted by an ordinary missile In this case
there was no appearance OF single effort
at natural repair at any point along the
track OF the ball.
'@The gangrenous Influence from the bull
let believe to have heen due to some or,
ganic poison placed on the bullet Further
meteorological tests are IN progress, and
possibly a germ capable OF giving rise to
this gangrenous condition Of tissues may
be found But the presence OF gangrene