New-York tribune., 1918-02-09
Col. Roosevelt
Better; Crisis
Due To-day
He May Escape Another
Operation if Improve
ment Continues

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, some
what improved last night after rest
full day in which he took light nour-
ishment, to-day passes through what
the surgeons in charge are inclined to
believe will be crisis in his case.
Should he do as we'll to-day as he did
in the twenty-four hours ended at 6
o'clock last evening, the doctors are
inclined to believe that no further
operation will be necessary.
The improvement of yesterday con-
sisted in marked subsistence of the
Inflammation Of the internal left ear,
which the specialists on Thursday
feared might make mastoid operation
necessary. The danger that such an
operation will be necessary has not yet
passed, but it is considerably more re-
mote than Thursday nights bulletins
indicated.
There is, however, no tendency on
the part of anybody connected with
the case to disguise the fact that
Colonel Roosevelt is seriously i'll. Dr..
Arthur B. Duel. the ear specialist,
summarizes the situation in the words:
"The outlook is most encouraging"
Late last night Colonel Roosevelt
was resting quietly under the care of
DR.. Harold Keyes, the house surgeon,
and a group of nurses at Roosevelt
Hospital.
"The Colonel has had very COM
Portable day and is progressing
favorably His pulse and tempera-
ture have been normal throughout
the day, and the violent symptoms
of his Maternal ear inflammation are
subsiding rapidly. The outlook is
most encouraging"
This bulletin, issued at 8:15, was
accompanied by the announcement that
DR.. Walton Martin, the surgeon in
charge, had gone home for the night.
Improves in Early Morning
The improvement in Colonel Roose-
velt's condition was first manifested in
the early morning, when he awoke after
a considerable sleep to ask for drink.
His temperature had gone back to nor
NAL, and he was apparently in much
less pain.
Glow do you feel, Colonel?" asked
the doctor.
"Better, thanks" he replied, and soon
dozed off again.
Just after o'clock Dr. Martin, ac-
companied by DR.. Duel, reached the
hospital. A study of the nurses chart
was reassuring and examination of the
left ear more so. There remained
some considerable inflammation, but the
wound looked cleaner, and on the
whole was in much better condition
than when last examined on Thursday.
The general Improvement was such
that the physicians decided the patient
could be given some light nourishment.
At $3.50 the first bulletin of the day
was issued. 1t read:
"Colonel Roosevelt had a very
satisfactory night. having slept about
nourishment at regular intervals to-
day. His temperature and pulse are
normal"
Report of Death Broadcast
While this bulletin was being issued
report, the origin of which none
could trace yesterday, spread over the
city, and thence over the country, that
Colonel Roosevelt was dead. It was in
Wall Street before the brokers reached
their Offices, and over the myriad of
wires that stretch from that district
to the far parts of the country the re-
port went out as rumOr. Within a
few minutes it came back to press as
sociations from points as far away as
Oklahoma and Michigan, asking for
confirmation.
George B. Corte'you, in White House
days the Colonel's private secretary
and later Cabinet member, was anoth er
early caller, closely followed by Rear
Admiral Gleaves, commander of the
Mayflower when that vessel was, Presi-
dent Roosevelt's yacht Then in rapid
succession came George w. Perkins,
"Suspender Jack" McGee, ex-Rough
Rider, and a host of less we'll known
PERSONS. Among them were a few in
the khaki of the private soldier An
other, an Italian. called to inquire in
broken English for "il Presidente."
DR.. Martin made his second call after
lunch and found the improvement
noted in the morning to be continuing
Through Miss Josephine NJ. Stricken,
the Colonel's secretary, he issues this
bulletin at 2 o'clock:
"Dr. Martin has just seen Colonel
Roosevelt and he says that the Colo
mel has had a satisfactory morning
and has retained all nourishment.
Temperature and pulse continue noi-
NAL. No additional symptoms have
developed"
Mrs. Roosevelt, the nurses said, had
been in and out Of the sick room at
intervals during the night, making ND
some of her lost sleep during the day.
Shc roceivcI NO IN llorS G,1rincr tho