The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-08-06
Wife of the President in State
Of Coma This Morning
and Hopes Are
Slight.
OXYGEN WAS USED
Her Life Hanging on 4 Slender
Thread Today With Doctors
Making Heroic
Battle.

United Press Leased wire 6oIplCo.J
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6.-Mrs VIII
sons life hangs on slender thread.
The first bulletin regarding her con-
dition Issued at a. m, stated that
she had experienced slight rally
early this morning after q fairly rest
full night, but that little hope for her
recovery was entertained.
At e:45 It was said her conditlon
showed "sIsht Improvement"
Mrs. Wilson was continually iapsing
from Consciousness into state OF
coma all night and this morning.
Physicians are adopting heroic meas
ures In an effort to keep her con-
scIous. Oxygen was used to stimulate
her heart action.
The president today cancelled all
engagements, to remain beside his
wife every moment. He spent an all
night vigil at her bedside. 1t was re-
ported that he snatched few hours
of broken rest on a couch in an ada
cent room. He did not remove his
clothing all night.
DR.. Cary Grayson, the presidents
aide and physician. also spent the en-
tire night In the sick room, assisted
by DR.. R. NJ Kennedy Of the navy.
| The latter had charge Of admins
tering the artificial stimulants. A
consultation Of the entire staff OF at
tending physicians, six in all, were
ordered at an early hour today. They
consist Of Drs Grayson, Kennedy and
Drs. Edward Park Davis and F. r.
Dercum, Of Philadelphia and DR..
Thomas Brown and DR.. Barker, cele-
brated specialists, OF the Johns Hop
kins hospitals, Baltimore.
DR.. Grayson expressed hope early
this morning that the crisis reached
during the night and continuing early
today, might be safely passed for
flew days. 1t was stated that Mrs.
Wilson, through the aid Of stimulants,
might linger several days. Her
| emaciated and generally weakened
condition, however, initiated against
such hope She is but shadow OF
her former robust self.
After the effects Of fall Mrs. VIII
son sustained on a slippery floor In
the white house last March, compel
ling a slight operation upon her spine,
which caused complication OF nerv-
Gus diseases, stomach trouble and
Bright's disease were said to be the
ailments of the first lady OF the
land"
Until two weeks ago her condition
did not become alarming. Since then
she failed rapidly. The president has
spent every spare moment at her
bedside, even drafting the united
States neutrality proclamation and
mediation offer in the European war
there.
Three weeks ago she made her first
trip outside the mansion, leaning on
the arm of a nurse while personally
Overseeing changes in the white
house rear gardens. Last week she
had a serious relapse. Last tuesday
her pulse was totally silent a few
moments, oxygen injections resusci.
tating her.
Miss Margaret Wilson has been al
most constantly with her mother
Mrs. William G.. McAdoo, formerly
Miss Eleanor Wilson, has been
daily visitor. Today the secretary OF
the treasury and Mrs. McAdc6 took
iup their residence in the white house.
Other relatives Of the family, sum
moned hastily, began to arrive. Mes
sages of sympathy poured in upon to e
president and his daughter. A stream
iof carriages passed through the great
; iportico of the white house with
friends calling to inquire. Secretary
BRYAN was one of the first
DR.. Grayson's statement was as fol
lows:
The chief cause of Mrs. Wilson's
present critical condition is chroniS
kidney trouble. This has developer
as one of the results of a nervous
breakdown brought on by overwork
In her ambition to perform her full
duty in washington, Mrs. Wilson ad
ded to her social obligations a very
great activity in philanthrcpic wcTf
connected with the redemption of the
slums of Washington City and in varf
Gus other enterprises connected with
the betterment Of conditions of life
here. At the same time she was very
active in attempting to bring about
constructive action in the matter Of
education in the southern mountain
district.
l THE first suggestion that she was
doing too much appeared last Febru
l airy and since then she has suffered
: great deal, eliminating in the
chronic kidney trouble. While hel
condition is alarming it shows today
D a slight improvement over yesterday
and the first part of last evening. Shit