Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-20
president. STILL
VERY SICK MAN,
| LAWRENCE LEARNS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

III the olHCldl DulletlnS. Dut ms COnol-
ton remains of such a serious char
acter that none of those in attendance
can predict with certainty the time of
his ultimate recovery. That the Presi-
dent is out of danger seems at this
time assured. though an unforeseen
complication can always upset the
best of assurances in that regard with
the President or any other patient
similarly afflicted
Much guessing as to the exact
causes of the Presidents illness has
been going on in different parts of
the country. some based on hearsay.
some based on long distance diagnosis
by physicians familiar with what oc-
ours in cases of nervous break
down. Some of these guesses may yet
prove right II the condition of the
President takes turn for the worse.
but thus far II is the fear of those
complications rather than their actual
occurrence which has given rise to
much of the speculation concerning
the Presidents condition.
There seems to he a disposition to
question the completeness of the Of
fetal bulletins, and from a medical
viewpoint they have, of course. not
gone into the most intimate details.
This has been. no doubt. due to the
well known feeling of the Presidents
family that the health Of the Presi-
dent is. in part. at least. a private
matter. and that. with the general
facts about his Illness, his tendency
to improve or fall back. the public
should be acquainted. Public opinion
has to some extent brought about
a change and. yielding to criticism.
the White House has mentioned one
or two minor ailments. though with
the impression, too. that all the small
complications were not In them
selves the basic cause of his indis
position.
Original Diagnosis Correct.
The doctors still insist that their
original diagnosis Is correct-that
nervous exhaustion is the central
trouble, though 1t is apparent that
many of these irritating complications
have held back what otherwise might
have been a quicker recovery on the
part of a patient with case of nerves.
From a medical viewpoint the pos
sibilities Of a cerebral hemorrhage by
a patient stricken with nervous ex-
haustion are, of course. recognized.
There are cases in which such a dis
turbance is serious and others in
which 1t is slight and passes OF very
much as a temporary delirium in a
patient suffering from any fever. 1t
is not always possible to recognize
the existence of a slight hemorrhage
and the best information that seems
obtainable is that IL something like
that has occurred 1T has been of such
a slight character as not to leave a
definite trace. and not to affect in the
slightest the clarity Of the Presidents
mind.
Why Details Are Omitted.
It is perhaps because OF an all too
intense eagerness on the part of a
small group of the Presidents OPP
ponents 20 spread an impression of
incapacity that details are omitted
which might tend to confirm such an
impression and still are basically
without significance at all. For ex-
ample. for some time, even before the
President went to bed three weeks
ago. his friends have observed occa-
sionally a twitching of one Of the
muscles OF his face. 1t was a symp-
tom that helped determine the neces-
sity for an absolute cancellation OF
work, but. on the other hand, reports
have had it that Mr. Wilson suffered
a paralysis of the entire face or lower
jaw The doctors have noted since an
Improvement in that symptom. in
fact, a tendency for that to clear up,
but would they be justified in issuing
a specific denial and then be met two
wit a recurrence Of the trouble in
more intense form?
Bulletin Task Difficult.
Ordinarily a physician Is not re-
n n
hopes. and when the situation is COM
plicated by the fact that certain
courses of treatment are being pre-
scribed by specialists and experts.
each one of whom has his own ideas
of what the future condition of the
patient is going to be, 1t can well be
imagined what a difficult task it is
to issue q comprehensive bulletin
stating UP to the moment everything
about the case that the physicians
themselves know. So the reports CIV
en- out at the White House and signed
by the attending doctors comprise
general statements with an occasional
inclusion of a symptom II it seems
acute.
All this simply means that the Pres
fdent Is still very sick; that his ply
sicians-some Of the best specialists
In the country-are adopting every
resource known to medical science to
bring the President back to normal,
but that their most vital need is time.
Can they get enough of IL? They are
going to keep Mr.. Wilson from at
tending to public business just as
long as they can, even if it takes sew
eral weeks.
Just now they say his mind is clear
enough to transact public business.
There are no doubts on that score on
the parS of any of the men of his ac-
quaintance who are in a position to
know. But IL he tackled business too
early or too much Of il he might
suffre a relapse, and physicians feel
their professional regulations would
suffer and the President, too. So they
are holding Mr.. Wilson apart from
work as long as they can.
If public opinion grows too impatient
and practically compels Mr.. Wilson to
that he is in possession
of all his faculties: IL the Congress
should attempt to raise the question
of Inability" under the Constitution.
Mr.. Wilson would no doubt be per-
mitted by his physicians to see a few
callers and transact some vital and
pressing matters Of business. The
length of time the President is de-
tached from public business depends.
very largely on the patience
Of the American people themselves.
Copyright. 1912
SENATOR EDGE TO SPEAK.
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