Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-23

we're TO shock the world, arouse
n the stock market and send the
to spend Christmas at the White
House. He few to Key West on
December % for a vacation
which did him "a world Of good"
At the resort he told reporters at
an informal press conference
that his mind was not fixed
about the second term race. He
said, however, he felt stronger
and better able to get about.
On January 8. Mr.. Eisenhower
took over what he called the
full duties" of the White House.
His first formal news conference
after the attack was held on
January II. This was in the
seventeenth week of recovery.
He said doctors assured him he
was making normal and salts
factory progress. But he added,
lit would be foolish to pretend
that my health can be fully re-
stored"
The doctors said after a thor
ough examination on February
IA that the President was physi-
cally fit to run again, if he de-
sired. They said he should be
able to carry on an active life in
the presidency for another five or
10 years. The next day he flew
off to ThomaSville, Ga, to golf
and hunt quail on the estate of
Treasury Secretary Humphrey
and, to think over things po-
/ litical.
Answers Big Question
Back in Washington he an
swered the big question at news
conference held February 90. The
answer: Yes, he was available
again.
! At the historic news confer
ence and in a televised broadcast,
he told the Nation he had to curb
his activities somewhat becauseI
OF the illness but he had no doubt
that he could perform all i'm
portant duties of his office. Hel
called himself a recovered heart
patient. He then was taking al
daily swim and he golfed fire.
quently.
I A week later he declared heI
would resign instantly if hiSI
health failed to the point where
he felt he could not perform his
duties adequately. He stressed
that he meant basic organic de-
terloration, not minor illness.
The six-month milestone was
passed on March "a and Press
Secretary James c. Hagerty said
the Presidents progress was ex-
Icellent. He reported Mr.. Eisen-
fhower was seeing his PERSONAL
physician, DR.. Howard McC. Sny-
der, twice a day. Emphasis was
being placed on mild" excerise
| Health-wise things rocked
along pretty we'll during the
spring. In mid-April the Presi-
dent did arrive late at a dinner
OF Republican leaders, but this
was not of significance. The de-
lay was deliberate and was in
line with the previously an
nounced plan of conserving his
strength.
TwO-Day Examination
On May 10 Mr.. Eisenhower re-
entered Walter Reed, this time
for a thorough two-day exam
ination. The physicians found
his recovery proceeding as ex-
pected. They said his condition
was good. Elated with the re-
port, the President took off for
the Burning Tree golf course.
Mr.. Hagerty disclosed one or
two more examinations were
planned during 1856. DR.. Snyder
suggested that, as a precaution,
Denver be ruled out thereafter
as a vacation site, because of
its high altitude. The President
was saying now that about the
only way he knew he had suf-
fered a heart seizure was that
the doctors kept reminding him.
/ In this period of recovery Mr..
Eisenhower made more numer-
GUS appearances in public. He
was the guest of honor at sew
eral formal functions. One of
these was the annual banquet
of the White House News Pho
tographers Association.
This dinner, at the Hotel Stat
Ter, was on Thursday night, June
IL. Mr.. Eisenhower ate a spe-
cially prepared "fatless" steak.
/. Obviously he enjoyed the enter
tainment and he joked with Bob
Hope. He returned to the White
House at 1858 pm.
Doctor Is Called
Shortly after midnight, Mrs.
Eisenhower telephoned DR.. Sny-
der that the President was hav-
ing stomach discomfort. The
physician. as he had done before
in similar cases, prescribed a
slight dose of milk of magnesia.
Forty-five minutes later Mrs. Ell
senhower again called. She said
the discomfort was persisting.
She asked DR.. Snyder to come
to the White House.
Mr.. Hagerty gave out first news
of the illness at $3.50 a m. Friday.
, He called it an upset stomach
, and ''eadache." He emphasized
to reporters that nothing was
wrong with the Presidents heart.
At 1890 pm. the secretary an
! nounced the trouble had been
diagnosed as ileitis. an inflam-
nation of the lower portion of
:! the small intestine. He said Mr..
Eisenhower was being taken to
Walter Reed as a precaution.