New-York tribune., 1918-02-08

Continued from page
is involved was not stated in the bull
tetin. DR.. Walton Martin, the surgeon
N charge of the case, and Drs. Wilt
lam A. Duel, Gorham Bacon and Fred
Whiting, the ear specialists called into
consultation, would not make any fur
ther statement. /. was explained
however, that the real danger is tina,
which case another and far more Sc
That such an operation was consd-
cred yesterday is indicated by the first
bulletin. 1t reads as follows:
Colonel Roosevelt had an abcess in
both ears. which were opened at 4
o'clock yesterday afternoon.
"Colonel Rooseveltp asssed a COM
Portable night, but his morning the
inflammation had developed in his left
ear into the internal ear A consul
tation, in which DR.. Gorham Bacon
and Dr.. Fred Whiting corcurrcd with
DR.. Duel in his opinion that no fur
ther operation was indicated at pres
ent, and that while the condition is
serious nothing more is to be done
than careful observation for the
present"
His Condition Serious
DR.. Duel came downstairs while the
Coloneps secretary was writing the bull
letln dictated by the surgeons.
There is absolutely nothing that can
be said that is not in the bulletin" he
told the reporters. Colonel Roose-
velt's condition is, as the bulletin says,
serious. 1t is not critical. There will
be no operation to-day"
Others of the consultants were equal
~ A.
best of authority for the statement that
the Colonels condition is not, as has
been stated due to Brazilian fever con-
tracted in his Amazonian exploration
work. On the contrary, it is stated by
this authority that the assesses are
the result of an ordinary infection such
as any person might suffer.
1t had been thought on Wednesday,
when the Colonel was operated upon,
that there was nothing serious in the
situation created by the assesses in
ing considered of so little Importance
that no mention was made Of them in
the official report of the case, in which
only the operation for fistula was men
toned.
at was thought best to clear up his
ears while he was under anasthesia," it
was explained.
The operation on the ears, it was
stated yesterday, showed at the time
the presence of pus behind the men,
brane of the drum, nccessitating the
puncturing of the membrane.
More Serious Operation Possible
1t was explained by surgeons that
this might involve the mastoid process,
which in turn would involve far more
serious operation than either yet per-
formed.
Until noon it was supposed that Mr..
Roosevelt was progrc ssing as we'll as
one with his magnificent physique
might be expected to. He passed. it
was said, a comfortable night, sleeping
quite we'll, though at times suffering
intense pain. His respiration, it was
stated, was natural, his pulse nearly
so and his temperature but little
above normal There was nothing to
indicate that he would not soon be on
the road to recovery.
About noon, however, the change
came. DR.. Martin, who on an earlier
visit had found nothing out of the
normal. then found that the left ear
was suppurating more than the simple
Infection noted when the absccss was
opened on Wednesday would account
for About this time Mr.. Roosevelt was
affected by severe attack Of nausea
something he had escaped when coming
out of the ether the night before
The first indication to the watchers
that all was not we'll with Mr.. Roose-
welt came when it was noticed that
calls for members of the house staff
were unanswered, an attache later say
ing that they, with DR.. Martin, were
with Colonel Roosevelt, who had suf
fered severe attack of nausea. This
1o,, \ 4 [
being frequently noted in surgica
cases.
Specialist Arrives
velt's secretary, arrived. Her informa
ton was that the Colonel was doing
nicely, and, promising a bulletin no
later than 1880, she went to the sick
room There was. no bulletin forth
coming at the time promised, however
and at 3 o'clock DR.. Whiting rushet
into the hospital and asked that he b'
ushercd to Colonel Roosevclt's room
The attendant failed to recognize hin
and told him he would have to wait.
Good God, can't wait!" he ex
claimed, nervously lingering his watch
Or. Duel telephoned to me to get her,
as fast as | could"
He was taken to the elevator i'm
mediately.
1t was almost full hour later tha
Miss Striker gave to the ncwspape
men the substance of the bulletin.
had been dictated, she said. by all o
the doctors and represented the opinion
of all of them.
In answer to further question sh
said she had not seen her employer
the only persons other. than the sur
geons and nurses accorded that privi
ege being Mrs. Roosevelt and tn
Colonel's two daughters. Mrs. Nichola
Longworth and Mrs. Richard Derby.
Hundreds Of kilograms were re
ceived. and cards were left by man
friends. Of the men who called, Cap
tain Eddie Bourke, in charge of tn
guards on the city bridges, and Josep
Bucknam Bishop, late of the Panam
Canal Commission. were the best knowr
Major John p. Mitchell. George "
Perkins and Oscar Straus called durin
the carly evening.
Americans on Allamance SAT-,