Evening journal., 1922-09-09
MRS. HARDINGIS
CRITICALLY ILL
Wife of President In Death
Shadow From Kidney
Trouble
EXECUTIVE SPENDS
NIGHT AT BEDSIDE
CONTINUED from First Pare,


from Columbus. o,
The summons gave rise TO the be-
lief that a surgical operation might
be necessary to save Mrs, Harding's
life.
were his son, DIR, Carl w. Sawyer,
DIR. Joel T. Boone, medical officer OF
sho Presidential yacht Maynewer,
md DIR, John Finney OF Baltimore,
who was hastily called In last night,
Mayo is due In Washington early
Sunday,
President Harding was UP at day
break, having been sent 20 bed by
Or. Sawyer, at A. M.
Secretary of War Weeks, who
called early at the whits House to-
day, said Mrs. Harding seemed bet
ter this morning than yesterday.
MRS. Harding's temperature Is
somewhat lower and she seems
stronger" said Weeks.
Attorney General DauBherty, who
spent the entire night at the White
House, said on leaving early this
morning that Mrs. Harding appear
cd TO have passed a fairly comfort
able night" but that her condition
was extremely grave"
Daugherty was pale and worn,
having sat up most OF the night.
opistes were administered 10 the
patient during the night 10 relieve
pain. Chairman Lasker OF the Ship
ping Board said. Dasker said the
doctors expected the crisis within "a
hours and were exerting every effort
10 prevent poisonous secretions from
eccumulating. II these efforts are
cIccessful, Lasker said, the ply
sicians hope that Mrs. Harding's
strong will power VIII see her
through.
The news that Mrs. Harding's life
was actually IN danger startled
washington last night, even though
an earlier announcement from the
White House had stated her condi-
ton was causing much concern. Fol- !
lowing the arrival from Baltimore, |
OF DR.. Finney. shortly after p. m,
the following statement was issued: |
Mrs. Harding whose illness is a |
recurrence of attacks experienced be-
fore coming TO the White House de-
veloped complications Thursday and |
Friday nights which make her con-
dition critical.
These complications are so seri-
gus that recovery Is not yet assure9!l I
"Dr. John Finney, Of Baltimore. |
was called IN consultation tonight |
and Dr. Charles Mayo is enroute |
from Rochester, MINI. DR.. Carl W. |
Sawyer and Dr.. Joel T. Boone have /
Joined in attendance on Mrs. Hard /
Ing today.
(signed) &C. z. Sawyer, NJ. D."
The tone OF this announcement. |
contrasted with the one Issued /
some hours earlier showed the rapid |
change for the worse in the patients
condition
Early Friday morning. the White
House apparently not seriously
alarmed. said Mrs. Harding. ap-
peared to be recovering" from an
Illness which forced her to take
20 her bed following a short cruise
with the President on the Mayfiower.
At that time Mrs. Harding was
elightly III. and contracted a cold.
This brought on a recurrence of the
hydro-nephrosis (dropsy of the kid
ney) which first attacked Mrs
Harding in 1913.
At that time she underwent
surgical operation. Another attack
in 1916 seemed likely for a time
10 prove fatal. For four days Mrs.
Harding's life was despaired Of.
But her fighting spirit" carried
Der through then and that is what
her friends are counting on in the
present crisis to bring her safely past
the danger point. Mrs. Harding ,
carries now, however. the additional
handicap of six additional years.
she is more than sixty years old.
All during Friday President Hard
ing though plainly showing in his
increased gravity and by his worried
look the deep anxiety Mrs. Harding's
illness caused him. forced himself TO
attend TO his official duties. He cut
the cabinet meeting to a scant twen- !
~ minutes. however, and when he !
appeared at his semi-weekly con- .
ference with newspaper men late in
the afternoon he was pale and
drawn. The President himself min
istered 10 his wife's wants as much
as the doctors and nurses would let
him. and last night refused to go TO /,
bed until DR.. Sawyer finally ordered !
him for the sake of his own health,
TO seek some rest.
The arrival of DR.. Finney from !
Baltimore caused a furry of excite
ment among the watchers at the
White House. Finney rushed from
his taxicab into the mansion brush
ing from his path one man who
sought to question him.
Late in the afternoon Secretary Of s
the Navy DENLY, just returned from
his trqp to the Orient, called at the
White House and expressed his SYM {
pathy to the President. There were S
many other callers during the day )
and evening, while kilograms poured ]
III from all sections of the country
inquiring as TO Mrs. Harding's con- :
dition. {
Attorney General Daugherty came Q
over early in the night and remain
ed until early in the morning Y
Mrs. Sawyer. wife of the Presi- 4
1ential physician who had been at +,
he White House during the greater +
pert of the day, left late to return Il
TO her hotel. c
Secretary Christian and Comp 4
roller of the Currency Crissinger n
likewise went to their homes when O
hey found they could accomplish n
nothing by remaining. il
Christian. long a protege of Mrs.
Harding was so moved by his grief a
md anxiety over her illness that II d
80. aga3o,,if FOR him n dalfxar IN