New-York tribune., 1910-08-12
DR.. PECK ON GAYN0R CASE
surueon Takes Hopeful View of
Mayors Condition.
LESS FEAR OF BLOODePOISGN
Denies Clash with Other Doctors
and Says Bulletins Show
Constant Improvement.

sultation on Mayor Gaynor on Tuesday,
talked more freely about the Mayor S
condition last night than any of the other
doctors concerned in the case have been
willing 10 He explained some features
nj the case that have been a source OF
r.ore or less mystification and have
carsed doubt and anxiety to the public.
The tone Of his talk was very hopeful,
w.hile not Disgusting the fact that there
still remained the possibility Of danger
.sus complications. He said however,
that his own examination and the bull
5etins issued to-day showed that the
ssavor.s progress had been most favor
able NJ 10 the present
r z-as renorted yesterday afternoon
that there had been 3. disagreement
among the doctors in attendance on me
Nzvor and hat Dr. Peck had refused
10 have any further part in thc case.
This he quickly denied.
Deries Disagreement
,rTbere is no truth In that report SO
<s~ as I an concerned DR.. Peck said
4 mas only called into The case for one
consultation yesterday. l have not been
IA sec the Mayor and do not expect TO
70 again But that is because / am
not one Of the regular physicians in
attendance on the case and not because
Of any disa greement-
The doctor was then asked what was
his opinion Of The Mayors condition from
the examination he made yesterday.
I think his case is progressing very
n
And do the bulletins to-day confirm
that impression ND to the present.
Bulletins Very Favorable.
Yes he said. the bulletins to-day
are very favorable. The fact that there
was no rise in temperature in the after
nocr. as I understand to be the case, is
particularly favorable. That may he
said even 10 indicate an Improvement, as
# IS usual for the temperature TO rise
slightly in the afternoon. Then the tenn
pera tllre is not high enough to cause any
uneasiness, while the pulse and Tespira-
ton are normal
1t is understood that 4 culture was
taken from the Mayors blood this after
noon. and that the count showed too
she white corpuscles was slightly above
par. and the red corpuscles were not in
good condition. We're the words used in
describing the test. Does this indicate a
dangerous condition."
7 would have TO know the exact count
20 speak with any authority" Dr. Peck
said But slightly above par does not
mean anything dangerous or anything
10 cause anxiety. The average number
Of white corpuscles is eight thousand or
nine thousand to q cubic millimetre, and
this may vary from seven thousand to
ten thousand One examination would
only serve as \ standard to work from,
unless there was a wide variation from
the normal
IF there We're a. constant rise in the
number Of white corpuscies with sue
cessive examinations. that would indi-
cate a dangerous condition. An in
crease Of Loco above the normal would
rot mean anything But If the number
Of white corpuscIes jumped to 1900 or
o0,ao0. then there would he a dangerous
condition at once"
Fear of Blood Poison Less
rs there any stated limit OF time
within which septicemia may develop"
The doctor was asked.
"Oh. no he said. no arbitrary
period II may develop in four or five
davs or a week"
Then there is still time for septi-
cernia TO set in with Mayor Gaynor?"
Yes" he replied. But if there is
going To he septicemia in a malignant
form, it win generally show in two or
three days. The fact that there is no
poisoning indicated Yet would probably
mean shat II would be slight, if any. /
There may be some suppuration and a
Few minor assesses
Does the fact that there has been
no operation yet TO remove the bullet |
mean that there is a fear Of blood |
poisoning?'
Not especially" the doctor said. 1T |
means more probably that there is no /
use in taking unnecessary chances"
rs either section of the bullet bedded |
near important blood vessels"
Operation Not Wise Now.
don't know" Dr. Peck said. Il
nave not seen the ra0iographs and /
probably confirInatory plates will have /
u be made before the exact positions
can be determined. That is usually the |
vasc. But one section Of the buIle,
probab bly, passed through deep tissues |
and close TO important blood vessels. II
may even have abraded the blood YES |
sells and weakened the walls.
If that is So there is nothing to he
gained by subjecting the patient to an
other shock-and cutting into deep tis-
sues Is shock-before he has regained
ms fun strength The shock might bring |
on hemOrrhagc where the blood vessel |
is weakened. Let him regain his
strength and The blood vessel recover its
normal condition.
Besides this, if there is infection in
The wound il would not be wise to make
another incision, which would probably
have TO pass through the infected part
and run the chances Of spreading the in
fcction through another cut IT is wiser
10 lot the wound heal cIeanlv if If will
and the patient regain his strength be-
fore operating"
WILL TRY pATROI,MAN u0CR