The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-11

pertinent was not regarded as perfectly
conclusive. The results of this mornings
tests, however, are entirely satisfactory
both TO Professors Bell and Taintor and
TO the attending surgeons, and IL is now
unanimously agreed that the location OF
the ball has been asCertained with rea-
sonable certainty, and that IL lies as here
tofOre stated, in the front wall Of the alb
dOmen Immediately over the groin about
five inches below and TO the right of the
navel
o Improvement and relapse continued
through August, and on Sept 6 the Presi-
dent was removed from the White House to
ElberOn, his case then being really hope
less. Three thousand five hundred feet Of
track was laid from the railroad station
at Elberon TO the Francklyn cottage to
which the President was taken, so that the
train could run practically TO the door.
His condition fluctuated from that time
until his death at 1875 p. m. on Sept 49,.
The autopsy was made the next day. the
knife being used by DR.. ID. S. Lamb, Of the
Medical Museum at Washington, In the
presence Of the other surgeons The Of
fetal announcement of it's results said:
II was found that the ball, after frac-
turing the right eleventh rib, had passed
through the spinal column in front of the
spinal canal, fracturing the body of the
small fragments Of bone into the adjacent
soft parts and lodging below the pancreas.
about two inches and half 10 the left Of
the spine and behind the peritoneum, whore
ii had become completely encysted. The
immediate cause OF death was secondary
hemorrhage from one OF the mesenterfc
arteries adjoining the track Of the ball. the
blood rupturing the peritoneum and nearly
pint escaping into the abdominal cavity.
An abscess cavity. six inches by
four in dimensions, was found in the vicin-
ity OF the gall bladder, between the liver
and the transverse colon, which was
strongly adherent. II did not involve the
substance of the liver and no communica-
ton was found between IL and the wound
A long suppurating channel extended from
the external wound between the loin mus
Giles and the right kidney almost TO the
groin This channel, now known TO be due
10 the burrowing Of pus from the wound,
was supposed during life to be the track
Of the ball
NECESSARILY FATAL.
The report OF the autopsy was signed By
Drs. d. w. Bliss, ]. X. Barnes ]. j. Wood.
ward, Robert Reyburn. Frank H Hamilton.
ID. Hayes Agnew, Andrew II. Smith and
d. S. Lamb. DR.. Reyburn has said that
the injury to the spine would have caused
death in any event DIR. Bliss. in a review
Of the case mentioning the points revealed
by the autopsy which required considera-
ton by the profession. said:
Would the condition OF the President
Immediately after his injury have justified
more thorough exploration OF the wound.
or would such a procedure have been safe
at any time before primary reaction was
established2 Considering carefully the con-
ditiOn OF the President during the entire
period Of his illness and the facts revealed
by the autopsy. would not any operation
Tor the purposes before mentioned have
placed the Presidents life I'm great leoo-
ardy, and, al best. have FASTENED the time
OF his death without affording any signal
relief? i desire TO make the Inquiry
whether more extensive explorations could
have been safely made2 1 would
ask If any known Instrument or means Of
exploration has ever been presented To the
profession capable of tracing before he
death OF said patient the course of this
bullet"
There was discussion both lay and pro-.
fessiOnal after the result OF the autonsy
was made known, and, OF course. opinions
differed. The general conclusion was trat
the wound was mortal anyway. without
reference 10 the mistaken diagnosis.
one rather delicate point raised was as
10 the exact part taken by Drs Hamilton
and Agnew- They We're called in cOnsulta-
ton after the other surgeons had taken
preliminary measures, and they approved
what had already been done. IL was said
afterWard that, instead OF making explOra-
tOns or examinations for themselves On
their arrival al Washington. they accepted
and gave their approval OF the course taken
by them. ON one hand IL was said that
they were bound 10 accept the reports OF
the other doctors. who were first in charge.
On the other IL was said that their pro-
fessiOn and the people expected them ID
be their own judges wholly. and that thu
profession all over the world. when in
formed that these two men had been sum-
moned felt satisfaction that the President
/ was 10 have the best medical and surgical
/ skill and knowledge available. and that
] this implied initial examination on the part
| OF these surgeons The case. by reason of
| the remarkable mistake In the diagnosis.
| OF course. became = famous one Ia surgical
annals.