Chapter XIII: Shot Down (3)

At the point of silence it was discovered that that portion of the secondary, which still covered an equal portion of its primary, was very sensitive to the presence of metallic substances not connected in any way with the circuits of which the two coils formed a portion, disclosing their proximity by making again audible the sounds from the vibrator. The results obtained from this instrument were equal to those given by the Hughes balance, but the latter furnishing a more convenient form for general use, it was first adopted as the basis of experiments.

Such was the instrument which the electricians completed, but would it work in practically discovering the place of the ball? It was determined that on the morrow the apparatus should be tested.

_The thirty-first day._—Two things on this day occupied the public attention: First, the regular reports; and second, the experiments of Professor Bell. The bulletins were as follows:

“8:30 A. M.—The President slept well during the night, and this
morning is cheerful, and expresses himself as feeling better than at
any time since he was hurt. He appears stronger, and has evidently
made progress toward recovery during the last few days. His pulse is
now 94; temperature, 98.4; respiration, 18. 12:30 P. M.—The
President’s wound continues to do well. At the morning dressing it
was found to be in all respects in a satisfactory condition. At
present his pulse is 100; temperature, 98.4; respiration, 19. 7 P.
M.—The President has taken nourishment well and in sufficient
quantity, and in all respects continues to do well. The rise of
temperature this afternoon is slight. At present his pulse is 104;
temperature, 99.5; respiration, 20.”

After the morning dressing of the President’s wound, it was decided to make a formal trial of the induction apparatus for determining, if possible, the location of the fatal bullet. Professor Bell was accordingly brought, with his instrument, to the President’s bedside, and there conducted his experiments. Later in the day he wrote out and presented to the surgeons an official report of the results, as follows:

“VOLTA LABORATORY, 1,221, CONNECTICUT AVENUE,}
“WASHINGTON, August 1, 1881.}

“_To the Surgeons in attendance upon President Garfield_:

“GENTLEMEN—I beg to submit for your information a brief statement of
the results obtained with the new form of induction balance in the
experiments made this morning for the purpose of locating the bullet
in the person of the President. The instrument was tested for
sensitiveness several times during the course of the experiments,
and it was found to respond well to the presentation of a flattened
bullet at a distance of about four inches from the coils. When the
exploring coils were passed over that part of the abdomen where a
sonorous spot was observed in the experiments made on July 26, a
feeble tone was perceived, but the effect was audible a considerable
distance around this spot. The sounds were too feeble to be entirely
satisfactory, as I had reason to expect, from the extreme
sensitiveness of the instrument, a much more marked effect. In order
to ascertain whether similar sounds might not be obtained in other
localities, I explored the whole right side and back below the point
of entrance of the bullet, but no part gave indications of the
presence of metal, except an area of about two inches in diameter,
containing within it the spot previously found to be sonorous. The
experiments were repeated by Mr. Taintor, who obtained exactly
corresponding results. We are therefore justified in concluding that
the ball is located within the above-named area. In our preliminary
experiments we found that a bullet like the one in question, when in
its normal shape, produced no audible effect beyond a distance of
two and a-half inches; while the same bullet, flattened and
presented with its face parallel to the plane of the coils, gave
indications up to a distance of five inches. The same flattened
bullet, held with its face perpendicular to the plane of the coils,
produced no sound beyond a distance of one inch. The facts show that
in ignorance of the actual shape and mode of presentation of the
bullet to the exploring instrument, the depth at which the bullet
lies beneath the surface can not be determined from our experiments.

I am, gentlemen, yours truly,
“ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL.”[5]

Footnote 5:

In the light of the discoveries made at the examination of the
President’s body, after death, it would not appear that the Induction
Balance, viewed as an agent to determine the position of concealed
balls of metal—especially lead—is an instrument calculated to improve
the reputation of science or scientific men.

_The thirty-second day._—Less space was given to-day in the public press to reports of the President’s progress than on any previous day since the assassination. An incident of the hour was the reception by Mrs. Garfield of a draft for a hundred pounds sterling, sent by the Disciples, of England, to aid in the reconstruction of the church in Washington where the President was in the habit of attending worship. The reports for the day were of the same general tenor which they had borne since the surgical operation of the 25th July. The bulletins were as follows:

“8:30 A. M.—The President passed a very pleasant night, and slept
sweetly the greater part of the time. This morning he awoke
refreshed, and appears comfortable and cheerful. Pulse, 94;
temperature, 98.4; respiration, 18. 12:30 P. M.—The President is
passing the day comfortably. At the morning dressing his wound was
found to be doing admirably. His pulse is now 99; temperature, 98.4;
respiration, 19. 7 P. M.—The President has continued to progress
favorably during the day, and appears perceptibly better in his
general condition than yesterday, a more natural tone of voice being
especially perceptible. At present his pulse is 104; temperature,
100; respiration, 20.”

_The thirty-third day._—“President Garfield continues,” says the New York _Tribune_, “to gain steadily. In a fortnight more, if all goes well with him, he will probably be able to sit up and give some attention to the business which awaits his action. He is still very weak, but when the healing process in his wound is well begun, he will, no doubt, gain strength rapidly.” Such was the opinion of the country. The physicians in charge, and the attendants upon the President, all seemed to believe confidently in his early convalescence. The most noticeable change in his condition was the return of his voice to its wonted fullness and resonance. His attendants said that the change in this respect had been very marked as compared with three or four days previous. The quantity of morphine given by the physicians, in order to produce sound sleep, had now been reduced to one-eighth of a grain daily, and the President was able to take more than the usual amount of nourishment, including beefsteak, milk, meat extract, toast saturated with beef juice, and a little coffee. His strength had increased, and he was able already to do more in the way of turning himself in bed, and helping others to raise his body, than the surgeons thought it prudent to allow.

The bulletins of the day were in every way satisfactory and encouraging:

8:30 A. M.—The President slept tranquilly the greater part of the
night. This morning his temperature is normal, and his general
condition is satisfactory. Another day of favorable progress is
anticipated. At present his pulse is 90; temperature, 96.4;
respiration, 18. 12:30 P. M.—The President continues to progress
steadily toward convalescence. He has taken to-day an increased
proportion of solid food. His wound is doing well, and his general
condition is better than yesterday. At present his pulse is 100;
temperature, 98.4; respiration, 19. 7 P. M.—The President has passed
a very satisfactory day. The rise of temperature this afternoon is
slight. At present his pulse is 102; temperature, 99.4; respiration,
19.

The proposed removal of the President from the White House was again under discussion. It was decided, however, to do nothing definite in regard to such removal until he could himself be taken into the counsel of the physicians, and indicate his preference. Two plans had thus far been discussed: one to take him upon a naval vessel, and depart for any point upon the coast where the surroundings seemed to promise most for his physical improvement; the other, to take him to the Soldiers’ Home, three miles from the White House, and keep him there until he should be able to make the journey by rail to Mentor, his Ohio home.

_The thirty-fourth day._—No news of interest to-day. The space allotted in the newspapers to accounts of the progress and condition of the President was still further reduced. In conversation about the President’s condition, Dr. Hamilton was reported to have discussed the situation quite freely, and expressed the opinion that President Garfield was advancing toward recovery in a very satisfactory manner. In reply to the direct question: “Do you think the President will recover?” the Doctor said: “I have no doubt whatever of his ultimate recovery.” Dr. Hamilton also expressed the opinion that there was no malaria in the patient’s system. In response to interrogatories relative to moving the patient from the Executive Mansion, the doctor said that nothing could yet be determined, as the President was in no condition to be moved. He thought, however, when the proper time arrived, that a trip down the Potomac would be decidedly beneficial, and would hasten his recovery.

In accordance with the custom which the physicians had now adopted, only two bulletins were issued during the day, and they were of a sort to create no excitement.

“8:30 A. M.—The President continues to improve. He slept well during
the night, and this morning looks and expresses himself cheerfully.
Another satisfactory day is anticipated. At present his pulse is 90;
temperature, 98.4; respiration, 18. 7 P. M.—As the morning bulletin
indicated would probably be the case, the President has passed
another good day without drawback or unpleasant symptoms of any
kind. At 10:30 P. M. his pulse was 96; temperature, 98.4;
respiration, 18. The afternoon rise of temperature came on late and
was moderate in degree. Now his pulse is 102; temperature, 100.2;
respiration, 19.”

Thus from day to day, and from week to week, the time wore on, the people regarding it merely as a matter of time when their beloved President would be restored to life and health. At this date they did not anticipate an alternative issue.

_The thirty-fifth day._—In the leading papers of August 5th, no more than a quarter of a column was devoted to President Garfield. The citizens of Newport, Rhode Island, sent, through the mayor of the city, an invitation to the President to come to their famous resort as soon as his wound would permit, and to remain as their guest until complete recovery. The bulletins of the day contained the only information. They said:

“8:30 A. M.—The President slept naturally the greater part of the
night, although he has taken no morphia during the last twenty-four
hours. His improved condition warranted, several days ago, a
diminution in the quantity of morphia administered hypodermically at
bedtime, and it was reduced at first to one-twelfth and afterward to
one-sixteenth of a grain in the twenty-four hours, without any
consequent unpleasant result, and finally has been altogether
dispensed with. His condition this morning exhibits continued
improvement, and another good day is anticipated. At present his
pulse is 88; temperature, 98.4; respiration, 18. 7 P. M.—The
President has passed another good day. He has taken an adequate
quantity of nourishment, and has had several pleasant naps during
the day. At 12:30 P. M. his pulse was 98; temperature, 98.4;
respiration, 18. After 4 P. M. his temperature began to rise as
usual, but to a moderate degree and without perceptible dryness of
skin. His pulse is 102; temperature, 100.4; respiration, 19.”

_The thirty-sixth day._—The public had now accepted, with abiding trust, the oft-repeated assurances of the surgeons that the President was on the road to health. The White House, from being the center of interest for the people of the whole country, as it had been two weeks before, had become the dullest place in Washington. Doctors came in and went out, and casual inquirers continued their visits. The military guards patrolled the space in front of the one gate through which access was had to the grounds, but beyond this nothing in the appearance or surroundings of the place indicated that public attention was, in any marked degree, turned in that direction. Great interest in the progress of the case continued, but it was not so intense and all-absorbing as hitherto. The bulletins were again the only news:

“8:30 A. M.—The President has passed an excellent night, sleeping
sweetly the greater part of the time. This morning he is cheerful,
and all the indications promise another favorable day. Pulse, 92;
temperature, 98.4; respiration, 18. 7 P. M.—The President passed a
comfortable morning, his symptoms and general condition being quite
satisfactory. At 12:30 P. M. his pulse was 100; temperature, 98.5;
respiration, 19. The afternoon rise of temperature began as late as
yesterday, but has been higher, though unaccompanied by dryness of
skin. At 7 P. M. his pulse was 102; temperature, 101.8; respiration,
19. The appearance of the wound at the evening dressing was,
however, good, and there has been no interruption to the flow of
pus.”

_The thirty-seventh day._—The 7th of August was probably the most quiet day since the President was wounded. There was some comment about the city regarding the information contained in the morning bulletin, the language of which was, that the President “this morning is in good condition, although the effects of the febrile disturbance of yesterday are still slightly perceptible in pulse and temperature.” Many persons construed this sentence as indicative of unfavorable symptoms; but the general public accepted it as reassuring, and consequently there were but few inquiries at the Mansion in the course of the day.

Within a narrower and better informed circle it was suspected that another pus sac was forming in the President’s body, but the opinion did not, for the time, obtain publicity. The two official bulletins of the day were as follows:

“8:30 A. M.—Shortly after the bulletin of last evening was issued
the President fell into a pleasant sleep, during which the febrile
rise subsided and was no longer perceptible when he awoke at 10 P.
M. Subsequently he slept well, though with occasional breaks during
the rest of the night. No morphia or other anodyne was administered.
This morning he is in good condition, although the effects of the
febrile disturbance of yesterday are still slightly perceptible in
pulse and temperature. At present his pulse is 96; temperature,
98.7; respiration, 18. 7 P. M.—The President has been comfortable
during the day, although his temperature began to rise earlier than
yesterday, and rose almost as high. At 12:30 P. M. his pulse was
104; temperature, 100; respiration, 20. At this hour his pulse is
104; temperature, 101.2; respiration, 20. He has taken nourishment
as usual, and has had several refreshing naps during the day.”

One of the unofficial reports of the day was to the effect that an effort was making to trace out exactly the course of the wound, and that to this end an instrument, called the electric probe, was to be inserted in the track of the ball. Professor Taintor was called to the Executive Mansion late in the afternoon to consult with the attending surgeons regarding the use of the electric probe. After the consultation, he was requested to return in the morning and to bring with him a battery of two cells. The purpose was, should it be determined to experiment with the instrument, to endeavor to ascertain the exact course of the wound from the surface of the body to the spot where the ball was lodged, and if possible to discover whether there was a pus cavity, and, if so, its exact location.

_The thirty-eighth day._—On this morning the physicians held a consultation. The question of the President’s afternoon fever was discussed, and Dr. Agnew was reported as having urged upon the surgeons the fact that the febrile rise was greater and more persistent than it should be if occasioned by the natural and inevitable processes of healing. The opinion was freely expressed that the channel of the wound was in some measure obstructed, and the propriety of a second operation to relieve the difficulty was suggested as the proper remedy. Accordingly, after the morning dressing of the wound, a second operation was performed, of which Dr. Bliss has given the following official account in the _Medical Record_ for October 8, 1881:

“The necessity of the operation was plainly developed by passing a
flexible catheter through the opening previously made, which readily
coursed toward the crest of the ilium, a distance of about seven
inches. This cavity was evacuated twice daily, by passing through
the catheter, previously inserted in the track, an aqueous solution
of permanganate of potash from a small hand-fountain, slightly
elevated, the water and pus returning and escaping at the opening
externally.

“The indications for making a point of exit in the dependent portion
of this pus sac were urgent, and on August 8th the operation was
performed by extending the incision previously made, downward and
forward through the skin, subcutaneous fascia, external and internal
oblique muscles, to a sinus or pus channel. The exposed muscle
contained a considerable number of minute spiculæ of bone. Upon
carrying a long, curved director through the opening between the
fractured rib downward to the point of incision, there was a deeper
channel which had not been exposed by the operation thus far, and
the incision was carried through the transversalis muscle and
transversalis fascia, opening into the deeper track and exposing the
end of the director. A catheter was then passed into the portion of
the track below the incision, a distance of three and one-half
inches, and in a direction near the anterior superior spinous
process of the ilium. The President was etherized during this
operation.”

This description of the operation, as narrated by Dr. Bliss, may doubtless be accepted, though involving many technical expressions which, under the circumstances, are unavoidable, as in every way correct and adequate. The regular bulletins were issued as usual and presented the following summary of symptoms:

“8:30 A. M.—The President passed a comfortable night and slept well
without an anodyne. The rise of temperature of yesterday afternoon
subsided during the evening, and did not recur at any time through
the night. At present he appears better than yesterday morning.
Pulse, 94; temperature, 98.4; respiration, 18.

“10:30.—It having become necessary to make another opening to
facilitate the escape of pus, we took advantage of the improved
condition of the President this morning. Shortly after the morning
bulletin was issued he was etherized. The incision tended downward
and forward, and a counter-opening was made into the track of the
ball below the margin of the twelfth rib, which it is believed will
effect the desired object. He bore the operation well, and has now
recovered from the effects of the etherization and is in excellent
condition.

“7 P. M.—After the last bulletin was issued the President suffered
somewhat for a time from nausea due to the ether, but this has now
subsided. He has had several refreshing naps, and his general
condition is even better than might have been expected after the
etherization and operation. At noon his pulse was 104; temperature,
100.2; respiration, 20. At present his pulse is 108; temperature,
101.9; respiration, 19.”

_The thirty-ninth day._—The effect of the surgical operation was salutary in so far as to make it practicable to dispense with the drainage-tube, to the great relief of the patient. The effects of the etherization, however, were somewhat distressing, and the shock of the operation no doubt told unfavorably on the President’s small reserve of vitality. None the less, his condition was so far from unfavorable that Dr. Agnew returned to Philadelphia and Secretary Blaine made preparations to take a brief respite from care by a visit to his own State. The ripple of anxiety, excited by the recent operation, passed away, and matters went on as before. The official reports of the day were as follows:

“8:30 A. M.—Notwithstanding the effects of yesterday’s operation,
the President slept the greater part of the night without the use of
morphia. This morning his pulse is 98; temperature, 99.8;
respiration, 19. Since yesterday afternoon small quantities of
liquid nourishment, given at short intervals, have been retained,
and this morning larger quantities are being administered without
gastric disturbance.

“12:30 P. M.—At the dressing of the President’s wound this morning,
it was found that pus had been discharged spontaneously and freely
through the counter-opening made yesterday. He has been quite
comfortable this morning, and taken a liberal supply of liquid
nourishment. His pulse is now 104; temperature, 99.7; respiration,
19. 7 P. M.—The President has been very easy during the day, and has
continued to take the nourishment allowed without gastric
disturbance. The degree of fever this P. M. differs little from that
of yesterday. Pulse, 106; temperature, 101.9; respiration, 19.”

It was one of the incidents of the day, that the President wrote his name, with the date, August 9, 1881, in a comparatively steady hand and without a serious effort.

_The fortieth day._—The morning news recited that the President’s appetite had somewhat improved, but this cheering information was coupled with the announcement that the sufferer had not recovered sufficiently to be raised, as hitherto, into the semi-recumbent position. It transpired that the writing of the President’s name on the previous day had been an official act, namely, the attestation of a paper of extradition in the case of an escaped Canadian forger, who had several years yet to serve in prison. The general indications were thought so favorable that Secretary Blaine did not longer delay his departure, but left on his contemplated visit for home. In the afternoon Mrs. Garfield sat for a long time beside her husband, talking with him, in a quiet way, of things most dear to each. The physicians’ official report closed the history of the day, as follows:

“8 A. M.—The President slept soundly during the night, and this
morning his temperature is again normal, although his pulse is still
frequent. At present it is 104; temperature, 98.5; respiration, 19.
12:30 P. M.—The President is getting through the day in a very
satisfactory manner. He has asked for, and taken a small quantity of
solid food in addition to the liquid nourishment allowed. His
temperature and respiration continue within the normal range, though
the debility following the operation is still shown by the frequency
of pulse. At present his pulse is 110; temperature, 98.6;
respiration, 19. 7 P. M.—The President has passed an excellent day.
The drainage of the wound is now efficient, and the pus secreted by
the deeper portions has been coming away spontaneously. The
afternoon rise of temperature is almost a degree less than yesterday
and the day before. Pulse at present 108; temperature, 101;
respiration, 19.”

_The forty-first day._—The passing epoch was again marked by a division of opinion among the newspapers. A series of leading articles in the New York _Herald_, understood to be from the pen of Dr. Hammond, were not only despondent in tone and severe upon the attending surgeons, but positively prophetic of a fatal termination of the President’s case. This view of the matter was, however, ably controverted in other leading papers, and the people were thus both led and misled. Looking to the sick room itself, there seemed to be not much cause for alarm. The President had improved somewhat in strength and appetite. He conversed freely. Especially did he surprise and gratify his attendants by calling for a writing tablet and penning a short but affectionate letter to his mother,—the last he ever wrote.

Turning to the official reports of the day, the following summary of the President’s progress was presented:

“8:30 A. M.—The President has passed an exceedingly good night;
sleeping sweetly with but few short breaks, and awaking refreshed
this morning at a later hour than usual. At the morning dressing,
just completed, it was found that the deeper parts of the wound had
been emptied spontaneously. His temperature shows an entire absence
of fever this morning, and his pulse, which is less frequent than
yesterday, is improving in quality. At present it is 100;
temperature, 98.6; respiration, 19.

“12:30 P. M.—The President is doing well to-day. Besides a liberal
supply of liquid nourishment at regular intervals, he has taken for
breakfast, with evident relish, an increased quantity of solid food.
He continues free from fever, his skin is moist, but without undue
perspiration. Pulse, 102; temperature, 98.6; respiration, 19.

“7 P. M.—After the noon bulletin was issued, the President’s
condition continued as then reported until about 4 P. M., when the
commencement of the afternoon febrile rise was noted. In its degree
it did not differ materially from that of yesterday. His pulse is
now 108; temperature, 101.2; respiration, 19.”

_The forty-second day._—Not much change. The President was weary and longed for a change of scene. The day when he could be safely removed from the White House was anxiously anticipated both by himself and the physicians. The United States steamer Tallapoosa, which had been undergoing repairs and fitting out for sea during the past month, was finally in complete readiness, and would be manned on the morrow. Assistant Paymaster Henry D. Smith, formerly of the Dispatch, had been transferred to the Tallapoosa. In a conversation of the morning, Mr. Smith gave a description of the manner in which the vessel had been fitted out. A suite of rooms had been prepared expressly for the use of President Garfield in the event of its being found practicable to take him out on the water, and at this time the suggestion of such a cruise seemed to please him greatly. The suite consisted of four comparatively large rooms, including a bed-chamber, reception and ante-room, and a bath-room. Paymaster Smith said further, that if it should be determined to take the President on the vessel, a swinging bed would be hung in his chamber so that the patient should not be annoyed by the motion of the vessel. Such were the plans and hopes which were never, alas, to be realized.

The surgeons’ reports for August 12th contained about all that could be said concerning the President’s condition for the day:

“8:30 A. M.—The President slept well during the greater part of the
night. The fever of yesterday afternoon subsided during the evening,
and has not been perceptible since 10 P. M. His general condition
this morning is good. Pulse, 100; temperature, 98.6; respiration,
19.

“12:30 P. M.—The President has passed a comfortable morning. He
continues to take, with repugnance, the liquid nourishment allowed,
and ate with relish for breakfast, a larger quantity of solid food
than he took yesterday. At present his pulse is 100; temperature,
99.3; respiration, 19.

“7 P. M.—The President has passed a comfortable day. At the evening
dressing the wound was found to be doing well. The quantity of pus
secreted is gradually diminishing. Its character is healthy. The
rise of temperature this afternoon reached the same point as
yesterday. At present the pulse is 108; temperature, 101.2;
respiration, 19.”

Thus from hour to hour, from day to day, from week to week, did the President tread the long and weary way onward and—downward.

_The forty-third day._—It was about this time that the attending surgeons finally abandoned their original diagnosis of the wound; that is, in so far as it concerned the direction of the ball. For some time Dr. Hamilton had given it as his view that the bullet, instead of entering the peritoneal cavity, and perforating the liver, had been turned downward at nearly a right angle to its course, and was lodged in the region behind the ilium. This view of the case was now accepted by the physicians in charge. In a conversation of the day, Dr. Bliss said that the latest examinations of the wound had clearly shown that the ball did not go through the liver. The liver was certainly injured by the shot, either by concussion or inflammation. At the present time, however, every indication corroborated the idea that the ball was in the region of the iliac fossa, and also that it was doing no harm.

Things had not gone well during the night. The President had been restless; and, contrary to the usual history of the case, fever was reported in the morning bulletin. The foreign dispatch of Hon. R. R. Hitt, Acting Secretary of State, referred to the President’s excited condition, and could only reiterate the somewhat uncertain echo of the bulletins, that the surgeons thought him “doing well.” The official reports themselves were couched in the following language;

“8:30 A. M.—The President did not sleep as well as usual during the
early part of the night. After midnight, however, his sleep was
refreshing, and broken only at long intervals. This morning he has a
little fever, nevertheless he expresses himself as feeling better
than for several days past. Pulse, 104; temperature, 100.8;
respiration, 19. 12:30 P. M.—The President has been cheerful and
easy during the morning, and his temperature has fallen a little
more than a degree and a half since the morning bulletin was issued.
His pulse is now 102; temperature, 99.2; respiration, 18. 6:30 P.
M.—Since the last bulletin the President has continued to do well.
The afternoon fever has been half a degree less than yesterday. At
present his pulse is 104; temperature, 100.7; respiration, 19.”

_The forty-fourth day._—One of the difficulties with which President Garfield had to contend was a certain weakness of digestion. Notwithstanding his great bodily strength and general robustness, it appears that never after the war were his assimilative powers equal to superficial indications. He had been, both by preference and necessity, a plain liver. The “eating” of the White House had not suited him. The French cookery of the establishment had proved at once distasteful and injurious to his health and spirits. After he was wounded, this weakness in his bodily functions became at once more pronounced. Great difficulty was experienced in securing an alimentation sufficient to sustain life and repair the fearful waste to which he was subjected. The sensitiveness of the digestive organs at times became critical. It was so on the 14th of August, when the physicians were almost baffled in the attempt to maintain nutrition. For the first time there was talk of the stronger stimulants. Whisky and brandy were both used, though not in large quantities. It could be plainly seen that under the outwardly confident tone of the official reports there lurked the shadow of fear. The regular bulletins of the day came out as usual, with the following account of the sufferer’s condition:

“8:30 A. M.—The President slept well during the night, and this
morning expresses himself as feeling comfortable. His temperature is
one degree less than at the same hour yesterday. His general
condition is good. Pulse, 100; temperature, 99.8; respiration, 18.
12:30 P. M.—The President has done well this morning. His
temperature has fallen one-half a degree since the last bulletin was
issued. At the morning dressing the condition of the wound was found
to be excellent, and the discharge of pus adequate and healthy.
Pulse, 96; temperature, 99.3; respiration, 18. 6:30 P. M.—The
condition of the President has not materially changed since noon.
The afternoon febrile rise is about the same as yesterday. Pulse,
108; temperature, 100.8; respiration, 19.”

_The forty-fifth day._—A day of great alarm; and the alarm was fully justified. There was evidence of weakening all around. The respiration had gone up. The temperature had gone up. So had the pulse to a fearful rate. The enfeebled stomach had broken down. That was the secret of the difficulty. Without food a well man can not live. How much less a man wounded to death and wasted by forty-five days of suffering! With every attempt to feed the President, his stomach rejected the food. If this state of things should continue, life would go out like a taper. It was to the credit of the surgeons in charge that they took the situation coolly and set about devising the best possible means of triumphing over the fearful obstacle which lay squarely across the possibility of recovery. The plan suggested and resorted to was artificial alimentation by the administration of enemata. In the after part of the day, Washington, and indeed the whole country, was filled with wild rumors which conveyed very little information and could be traced to no authentic source. The only trustworthy information was to be obtained from the official bulletins of the surgeons, which were as follows:

“8:30 A. M.—The President did not rest as well as usual last night.
Until toward three o’clock his sleep was not sound, and he awoke at
short intervals. His stomach was irritable and he vomited several
times. About three o’clock he became composed, and slept well until
after seven this morning. His stomach is still irritable, and his
temperature rather higher than yesterday. At present his pulse is
108; temperature, 100.2; respiration, 20. 12:30 P. M.—Since the last
bulletin, the President has not again vomited, and has been able to
retain the nourishment administered. At the morning dressing, the
discharge of pus was free and of good character. Since then his
pulse has been more frequent; but the temperature has fallen to a
little below what it was at this time yesterday. At present his
pulse is 118; temperature, 99; respiration, 19. 6:30 P. M.—The
irritability of the President’s stomach returned during the
afternoon and he has vomited three times since one o’clock. Although
the afternoon rise of temperature is less than it has been for
several days, the pulse and respiration are more frequent, so that
his condition is, on the whole, less satisfactory. His pulse is now
130; temperature, 99.6; respiration, 22.”

These reports clearly indicated the most serious crisis which had yet occurred since the President was shot. Unless the functions of the stomach could be restored by rest, there could be but one issue, and that was near at hand.

_The forty-sixth day._—All that could be said was that there had been slight improvement in some particulars. In the main matter—that of nourishment—the case was as bad as ever. Neither the city nor the country would have been surprised to hear that the President was dying or dead. The whole question, as matters now stood, was this: How long can he live? He himself was conscious, in good measure, of the appalling odds against him, but his calm heroism never wavered for a moment. From the first he only once—and that but for an instant—gave way to despondency, when he said to his wife that, considering the fact that he was already fifty years old, and that the brief remainder of his life would, perhaps, be weakened—possibly helpless—from his injury, it hardly appeared to be worth the struggle which his friends and himself were making to save it. This thought, however, found but a moment’s lodgment; and even now, when his vital forces seemed to be flowing out to the last ebb of despair, he stood up manfully and faced the enemy. His will remained vigorous, and he was cheerful in spirit—this, too, when the very water which was tendered him to refresh his exhausted powers was instantly rejected by the stomach. It was clear that no human vigor could long withstand so dreadful an ordeal; and the physicians recognized and acknowledged the fact that their unnatural system of alimentation was but a makeshift which would presently end in failure. Then death. The bulletins said:

“8:30 A. M.—The President was somewhat restless during the early
part of the night. Since three o’clock he has slept tranquilly most
of the time. Nutritious enemata are successfully employed to sustain
him. Altogether the symptoms are less urgent than yesterday
afternoon. At present his pulse is 110; temperature, 98.6;
respiration, 18. 12:30 P. M.—The President has been tranquil since
the morning bulletin, but has not yet rallied from the prostration
of yesterday as much as was hoped. The enemata administered are
still retained. At present his pulse is 114; temperature, 98.3;
respiration, 18. 7 P. M.—The President’s symptoms are still grave,
yet he seems to have lost no ground during the day, and his
condition on the whole is rather better than yesterday. The enemata
are retained. At present his pulse is 120; temperature, 98.9;
respiration, 19.”

_The forty-seventh day._—Notwithstanding the desperate extreme to which the poor President was reduced, the dispatches came, on the morning of August 17th, with the news that he was better. The dreadful nausea had passed, and two or three times some nutritive food had been swallowed and retained. Moreover, he had slept as much as an hour at a time. The examination of the wound, too, showed some little ground for encouragement, for the process of healing had gone on, notwithstanding the terrible exhaustion of the last three days. In the inner circle about the President’s bed there was a more hopeful feeling. “Little Crete,” the darling wife of the suffering Chief Magistrate, ventured out, with her three boys, to take a drive in the open air. Mr. Smalley, of the _Tribune_, thus spoke of her, as her carriage passed through the gateway:

“Her face, as she gave a nod and a smile of recognition, looked
bright and hopeful. I knew that the agony of apprehension must be
over and the President must be on the upward road again. The brave
little woman! What a terrible strain she has endured and with what
wonderful courage and patience she has met every fresh draft upon
her strength and resolution, keeping always out of her face the pain
and dread tugging at her heart, lest the slightest glimpse of it
should discourage her husband in his long battle with death! I
remember that at Elberon, just before the fatal journey to
Washington, General Garfield spoke of her with tenderness and pride,
as a steel-spring sort of a woman—supple, bright, enduring, and
rebounding after the severest strains. If he wins his way back to
health again he will owe his recovery, I firmly believe, as much to
the loving and cheerful ministrations of his wife, as to the six
doctors who wait upon him, skillful and devoted as they are.”

Later in the day, Mrs. Garfield received a dispatch from the Queen—there has been only one Queen since the President was shot—which was answered by the wife in her own way. The dispatches were as follows:

“_To Mrs. Garfield, Washington, D. C._:

“I am most anxious to know how the President is to-day, and to
express my deep sympathy with you both.

“THE QUEEN, Osborne.”

“_Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Osborne, England_:

“Your Majesty’s kind inquiry finds the President’s condition changed
for the better. In the judgment of his medical advisers there is
strong hope of his recovery. His mind is entirely clear, and your
Majesty’s kind expressions of sympathy are most grateful to him, as
they are gratefully acknowledged by me.

LUCRETIA R. GARFIELD.”

The regular bulletins gave the usual epitome of symptoms, as follows:

“8:30 A. M.—The President has passed a tranquil night, sleeping most
of the time. He continues to retain the nutritive enemata, and has
not vomited since the last bulletin. His general condition appears
more hopeful than at this time yesterday. Pulse, 110; temperature,
98.3; respiration, 18. 12:30 P. M.—The President’s condition has not
materially changed since the last bulletin. He has been tranquil and
has slept some, has not vomited, and the nutritive enemata are still
retained. Pulse, 112; temperature, 98.7; respiration, 18. 6:30 P.
M.—The President’s condition is even better than it was this
morning. The wound continues to do well. At present his pulse is
112; temperature, 98.8; respiration, 18.”

Meanwhile the trusted Secretary Blaine had reached Washington and was again at the bedside of his chief. In the evening he sent abroad two dispatches containing a brief summary of the President’s condition as determined by the official reports and by his own observation. And so the day closed in hope rather than despair.

_The forty-eighth day._—The President was still further improved—so thought and said his physicians. The mutinous stomach, which had threatened to end his life by refusing to perform its work at a time when it was not possible for his weakened system to bear for any lengthened period the strain of the wound and the fever without sustenance, had renewed its functions, and the experiments made during the day gave reasons to hope that nourishing food might now be administered with safety. It was good news indeed, and it would have been better if it had not been coupled with the statement that the President was reduced almost to a skeleton. From 210 pounds—his weight when shot—he had wasted away till his weight was hardly 135 pounds. Yet with only this pitiful bony structure of himself left he was reported as _cheerful and brave_! He was able to take more nourishment than on the previous day, and it appeared that his alimentation was now likely to be sufficient; but just as this beneficial reaction became noticeable, another complication arose which threatened to overbalance all the expected good. On the 17th of August a slight inflammation was noticed in the right parotid gland. By the following morning the swelling was more pronounced, and immediately became a source of annoyance and alarm. The tumefaction assumed the appearance of a carbuncle and there were indications of approaching suppuration of the gland. The face, especially on the right side, became distorted, and the President suffered great pain from the inflamed part. It was clear that in some measure the blood of the sufferer had been poisoned by the discharges of the wound, and that nature was attempting to relieve her distress by the destruction of a gland. The official bulletins of the day, though pervaded with the same spirit of optimism which characterized them all, were not of a sort to inspire confidence. They said:

“8:30 A. M.—The President has passed a very comfortable night,
sleeping well the greater part of the time. This morning his pulse
is slower and his general condition better than yesterday at the
same hour. Pulse, 104, temperature, 98.8; respiration, 17. 12:30 P.
M.—The President is suffering some discomfort this morning from
commencing inflammation of the right parotid gland. He has asked for
and retained several portions of liquid nourishment, much more than
he could swallow yesterday. The nutritive enemata continue to be
used with success. At present his pulse is 108; temperature, 98.4;
respiration, 18. 6:30 P. M.—The President has done well during the
day. He has taken additional nourishment by the mouth this afternoon
with evident relish and without subsequent nausea. His general
condition is rather better than at this time yesterday. Pulse, 108;
temperature, 100; respiration, 18.”

_The forty-ninth day._—With the 19th of August a more hopeful feeling again predominated. It was alleged by the surgeons that the President had made some improvement. Some was better than none. His nutriment for the day amounted to nine ounces of liquid food. The physicians gave assurance to the public that the inflamed gland did not necessarily imply blood poisoning. The President slept at intervals. In his waking moments he was still cheerful, but expressed a great yearning to get away from Washington and return to his home at Lawnfield.

In these days of alternate hope and anxious alarm the question naturally arose as to what had become of the Executive Department of the Government. The President was still himself in a certain sense, but he was without doubt utterly incapacitated to perform any executive duty. There was no acting President, and to tell the truth the people did not desire one. Some leading papers advocated the assumption of certain of the duties of the President by members of the Cabinet; but this untried and—it may be added—unconstitutional measure was not attempted; and so all executive functions remained in abeyance. The acts usually performed by the President were simply omitted until he should recover. Fortunately in a time of peace and during a recess of Congress, these acts could be postponed without any great detriment to public interests. The appointing power, except in so far as it is delegated by law to the heads of Departments, was in a state of complete suspension, but this fact occasioned no trouble, except to applicants for office. Under our system, where vacancies in Presidential appointments occur, by death or resignation, there is usually a deputy or some other officer who is authorized by law to perform temporarily the duties of the office. In the cases of post-offices where there are no deputy postmasters, the Post-Office Department is authorized to send special agents to take charge until the vacant postmastership can be filled. If the President’s prostration should continue—so reasoned the people—until the meeting of Congress—a contingency wholly improbable—there would be no stoppage of any part of the machinery of Government. In short, the American people were taught by a practical, though painful, example the great lesson, how little need there is for a nation of freemen to be governed—how amply able such a people are to adapt themselves to any emergency. The official reports of the day gave as usual the facts on which various opinions of the President’s prospects were based:

“8 A. M.—The President slept much of the night, and this morning is
more comfortable than yesterday. The swelling of the right parotid
gland has not increased since yesterday. Nutritive enemata are still
given with success, and liquid food has been swallowed and relished.
Pulse, 100; temperature, 98.4; respiration, 17.

“12:30 P. M.—The President’s condition has perceptibly improved
during the last twenty-four hours. He is taking to-day an increased
quantity of liquid food by the mouth. His pulse is now 106;
temperature, 98.8; respiration, 17.

“6:30 P. M.—The President has been very easy during the afternoon
and the favorable conditions reported in the last bulletin continue.
Pulse, 106; temperature, 100; respiration, 18.”

_The fiftieth day._—There could be no denial of another rally—though slight—on the part of the President. During the day a surgical experience occurred. Dr. Bliss, in treating the wound, succeeded in passing with a flexible tube what he _supposed_ to be an obstruction in the path of the ball. When this was done, the tube suddenly dropped, almost of its own weight, down the channel[6] to the depth of _twelve and a half inches_! The end of the probe was thus brought, as was confidently believed, into immediate proximity with the ball. The parotitis, from which the President was now suffering so severely, was reported as “about the same.” As a consequence of this inflammation, though no acknowledgment of the fact was made at the time, the patient’s face suffered a partial paralysis, which continued seriously to afflict him to the last. The summary of symptoms was published at the usual hours by the surgeons and presented the following statement of the President’s condition.

Footnote 6:

This channel was, of course, not the track of the ball, but the
insidious burrow of the pus, unfortunately assisted in its downward
progress by the mistaken manipulations of the surgeons.

“8:30 A. M.—The President has passed a quiet night, and this morning
his condition does not differ materially from what it was yesterday.
The swelling of the parotid gland is unchanged and is free from
pain. This morning his pulse is 98; temperature, 98.4; respiration,
18.

“12:30 P. M.—The President continues to do well. He is taking liquid
food by the mouth in increased quantity and with relish. The
nutritive enemata are still successfully given, but at longer
intervals. His pulse is now 107; temperature, 98.4; respiration, 18.

“6:30 P. M.—The President has passed the day quietly. He has been
able to take more liquid food by the mouth than yesterday, and the
quantity given by enema has been proportionately diminished. The
parotid swelling remains about the same. Pulse, 110; temperature,
100.4; respiration, 19.”

_The fifty-first day._—It was a long and sorrowful journey. There were pitfalls in the way. That inflamed gland now became a source of profound anxiety. The salivary secretions were so augmented and at the same time vitiated as constantly to fill the patient’s throat, threatening strangulation. The tendency to nausea was thus excited, and the President’s stomach again rejected food. This fact told immediately on the modicum of strength still remaining, and as the day progressed it appeared that medical skill was about exhausted in a hopeless struggle against the inevitable. The surgeons, however, as is the wont with the profession, still renewed the battle, now with this expedient and now with that, but always with the purpose of keeping the President alive until some kind of favorable reaction could supervene. The feature of the day’s history was that the most serious alarm was spread abroad after the issuance of the evening bulletin. The three official reports were as follows:

“8:30 A. M.—The President awoke more frequently than usual, yet
slept sufficiently during the night, and appears comfortable this
morning. The parotid swelling is about the same, but is not painful.
He took liquid nourishment by the mouth several times during the
night as well as this morning. Pulse, 106; temperature, 98.8;
respiration, 18.

“12:30 P. M.—The President’s condition continues about as at the
morning bulletin, except that there is a slight rise of temperature.
Pulse, 108; temperature, 99.4; respiration, 18.

“6:30 P. M.—The President has vomited three times during the
afternoon; the administration of food by the mouth has, therefore,
again been temporarily suspended and the nutritive enemata will be
given more frequently. Pulse, 108; temperature, 99.2; respiration,
18.”

To these regular bulletins may well be added the foreign dispatch of Secretary Blaine, who, at a late hour, sent to Minister Lowell the following message:

“LOWELL, _Minister_, _London_:

“The President’s sleep last night was broken and restless. His
symptoms throughout the day have been less favorable, and his
general condition is not encouraging. He is unable to retain food on
his stomach, having vomited twice during the afternoon, the last
time at 5 o’clock. This evening he has been able to drink water and
retain it. The swelling of the parotid gland has not increased.
Pulse and temperature about the same as yesterday. His sleep up to
this hour (11 P. M.) has been somewhat disturbed. We are all deeply
anxious.

“BLAINE, Secretary.”

_The fifty-second day._—The question was, how much longer the wheels of vexed and exhausted Nature could continue to revolve. Every power of life within the uncomplaining man was prostrated or dead. The inflammation in the gland had now progressed to a terrible extent, and an operation for its relief was already contemplated. That blood poisoning to some extent now existed, could hardly be controverted. Even the oversanguine Dr. Bliss was forced to admit it. In a conversation of the day, and in reply to questions with regard to the inflamed gland, he said: “The glandular swelling is still hard, and shows no signs of subsiding. The swelling of the surrounding parts has pretty much disappeared. Whether suppuration will take place or not we can not yet tell. I am inclined to think it will. I do not, however, apprehend any serious consequences even in that case, provided we can maintain the patient’s strength. The pus which forms is likely to be of a healthy character, and we shall liberate it promptly by an incision. There has been no pain in the gland this afternoon, and it has caused the patient little annoyance.”

With regard to the septic tint in the blood, which was the predisposing cause of the glandular inflammation, Dr. Bliss said: “In cases of this kind, where the patient becomes enfeebled by long-continued fever and suppuration, there is always a low and impoverished state of the blood. It is, indeed, a sort of mild blood poisoning, but it is very different from pyæmia. Pyæmia is caused by absorption into the blood of the disunited elements of broken down pus. Small fragments of fibrine are carried into the circulation, and wherever such a fragment lodges in one of the minute blood-vessels it becomes a center of suppuration. The symptoms of pyæmia, such as the disorganization and peculiar odor of the pus, the yellowish tint of the skin, the odor of the breath and the increased temperature of the body, are all marked and unmistakable, and none of them has at any time appeared in the President’s case.”

Thus with vain conjectures and provisos did the distinguished surgeon attempt to keep up his own courage and that of the public. But it was now well known that, bulletins or no bulletins, the President, unless promptly relieved either by medical skill or some unexpected revival of nature, was down to the very door of death. The official reports of the day were as follows:

“8:30 A. M.—The President has not vomited since yesterday afternoon,
and this morning he has twice asked for and received a small
quantity of fluid nourishment by the mouth. He slept more quietly
during the night, and this morning his general condition is more
encouraging than when the last bulletin was issued. Pulse, 104;
temperature, 98.4; respiration, 18.