The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-09-24
JOHNSON is DEAD
TROUBLE BECOMES CHRONIC.

| TRousLE BECOMES CHRONIC.
His trouble required and becam.
chronic. Another fistula or abscess
pocket about three inches long formed
At tho lower end Of :he secum. or con-
nection between the large and smaller
intestines lying between the right kid
ney duct on the right side Of the abdo-
men and adjoining the arteries leading
TO the right leg. This filled and perfo-
rated into the small intestine at the
lower end of the secum. its contents
passing into and through the bowels In
a natural way.
As the months passed this condition
grew worse until an operation only
| would save his life. and then II is a
| Question Of aueht hut the great skill Of
the Mayos could have prevailed to keep
the governor living as long as he did.
THE OPERATION.
The governor came to Rochester
Tuesday evening, Sept. IA. and the OPP
Grafton was performed at st. Mary's
hospital Wednesday forenoon. Sept. Is,
lasting two hours and ten minutes. 1t
was wholly successful. but the length
| of time that he was under the knife
and bound by the anesthetic was SO
great, being three hours altogether.
that the resultant shock and the fact
that it was In the abdominal tract
fer which reason he could be given no
strengthening nourishment, combined
60 set the hand of fate against him.
FIRST SINKING SPELL.
Wednesday evening he had a serious
sinking spell and came very rear dy-
ing. In fact. at one time DIR. Charles
F.. McNevin. house physician at st.
Mary's. who had charge of his case all
the time in that capacity. could not
catch his pulse. so fast and weak was
1t. and the governor was kept alive
only by the quick use Of q camphor.
ated oil injection and hot packs.
But he did rally. and his condition
Thursday and Thursday night was SO
good that the whole state and nation
began to rejoice: even the Doctors
Mayo were greatly pleased with the
outlook and said then that II he con-
tinued the Improvement he would sur
vive. That was the first time that
they had made SO optimistic state
| ment.
THE LAST BATTLE.
Then came the bad attack Of Friday
night, when the governor again al
most passed away. only the heroic
work OF the surgeons and his own
great vitality keeping him up.
| After Friday he had no more marked
depressions In condition. He did not
regain the point that he had reached
Thursday. His physical condition was
lower. his resista..ce much weaker.
From that time until 1850 this after
noon. when the final decline came. the
/ most encouraging bulletin that the
Mayos would issue was. He Is just
holding his own. Every hour that he
lives brings him that much nearer a
hopeful condition. unless he should
have another decline"
FoRLoRN HOPE.
The whole hope Of the Mayos was
that he would successfully pass
through the fve-day crisis period.
which was reached at II o'clock this
forenoon. and then begin to mend.
| The terrible ordeals Of Thursday and
Wednesday and Friday. however. had
greatly weakened him and had taken
away that essential vitality that only
proper nourishment of his body could
supply. This condition the Mayos well
knew. but they feared to give him
food because his failure to expei the
accumulations Of gas and the pains
that ensued indicated partial bowel
paralysis: not that exactly. but ths
inability Of the bowel muscles to re-
spond. which would have caused
stoppage.
| LIFE OR DEATH.
Yesterday morning about $50 they
decided that nourishment was essen
tial and tried him with champagne.
His stomach could not retain 1t. To-
day It was case of life or death.
and the strained chicken broth was
4 given him He retained IL on his stom-
ach. but it was too late. The supreme
moment had passed. The vital spark
was too low. Tired nature could no
longer assert itself. and Minnesota's
most beloved chief executive slowly
sank to his reward in the world be-
yond.
Not for a moment, said his physi-
clans. was the brilliant mind obscured