GARFIELD, JAMES A. 



319 



A. F. Rockwell and General Swaim, and Mrs. 

 Dr. Edson, the family physician of Mrs. Gar- 

 field ; Dr. Boynton, the President's cousin and 

 former physician, was also a careful and solici- 

 tous watcher. Experiments were made for 

 locating the bullet by means of the induction 

 balance under the direction of Professor Gra- 

 ham Bell and an assistant, the result of which 

 was announced, as follows, in one of the medi- 

 cal bulletins of August 1st : 



Under the supervision of the attending surgeons, 

 Professors Bell and Taintor this morning made anoth- 

 er application to the patient's body of the electrical 

 apparatus known as the induction balance, with a 

 view to completing the tests of last week, which were 

 not entirely conclusive, and ascertaining definitely 

 and certainly, if possible, the location of the ball. 

 Professors Bell and Taintor have been almost con- 

 stantly engaged for two weeks in experiments with 

 the induction balance, and have made several modi- 

 fications and improvements which greatly add to its 

 efficiency. They tried this improved apparatus upon 

 the President's body for the first time last week, and 

 although it indicated faintly the location of the ball, 

 it was afterward found to be slightly out of adjust- 

 ment, and the experiment was not regarded as per- 

 fectly conclusive. The results of this morning's tests, 

 however, are entirely satisfactory both to Professors 

 Bell and Taintor and to the attending surgeons, and 

 it is now unanimously agreed that the location of the 

 ball has been ascertained with reasonable certainty, 

 and that it lies, as heretofore stated, in the front wall 

 of the abdoman, immediately over the groin, about 

 five inches below and to the right of the navel. 



Favorable reports continued during the first 

 days of August, and plans were discussed for 

 removing the patient to the Soldiers' Home. 

 On the 6th unfavorable symptoms were re- 

 ported as the effect of the heat, and on tho 

 following day they were declared to be more 

 serious, and attributed to further obstruction 

 of pus in the wound. A new incision was 

 made, this time below the rib, giving another 

 and freer outlet from the assumed track of the 

 wound. Relief and renewed progress were an- 

 nounced as the result, but there seemed to be 

 no satisfactory evidence of healing. On the 

 10th the President, for the first time since the 

 shooting, signed an official document, pre- 

 sented for the purpose by the Secretary of 

 State, being one of the papers in an extradi- 

 tion case pending with Canada. About this 

 time there was considerable discussion as to 

 the correctness of the medical treatment, and 

 also as to the propriety of leaving the execu- 

 tive department of the Government without 

 an active head, some maintaining that the ex- 

 igency existed under which the Constitution 

 provided for the devolving of the powers and 

 duties of the presidential office on the Vice- 

 President on account of "inability." After 

 the 10th of August the reports from the suf- 

 ferer were less hopeful, and unfavorable symp- 

 toms declared themselves on the 13th. On the 

 15th the patient was admitted to be in a pre- 

 carious condition. His pulse went to 130, and 

 he was affected with il rigors" and vomiting. 

 Thereafter the stomach was continually troub- 

 lesome, and much of the time nutriment and 

 stimulants were administered by injection. 



There was an apparent recovery from the re- 

 lapse of the 15th, and hope was still cherished. 

 On the 18th inflammation of the right parotid 

 gland was announced, which increased until an 

 incision was made in it on the 24th. The con- 

 dition of the patient was fluctuating during 

 these days, and he began to express a strong 

 desire to be removed from Washington. On 

 the 25th his condition became critical, and on 

 the day following fears of a fatal ending of all 

 hope were entertained throughout the country. 

 There were, however, slight indications of im- 

 provement on the 27th, which increased until 

 by the 30th there was a renewal of hopeful an- 

 nouncements. On the 1st of September the 

 question of removal was taken up again, and 

 the gastric disturbance returning on the 4th, it 

 was decided to take the patient to Long Branch, 

 in accordance with his own earnest desire. 



The journey to Long Branch was made on 

 the 6th of September. The cottage of Mr. C. 

 J. Francklyn, in Elberon Park, had been pre- 

 pared for the reception of the President, and, 

 with two others near by, was to be occupied 

 by his family and attendants. A special train 

 of the Pennsylvania Railroad was fitted up for 

 the transfer from Washington to Long Branch, 

 and arrangements were made for running it 

 without delay and at a high rate of speed over 

 the 228 miles of distance, which included parts 

 of six different lines of railroad. The patient 

 was removed from the Executive Mansion to 

 the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station 

 without serious disturbance, at an early hour 

 in the morning, and was made as comfortable 

 as possible in a car specially fitted for the pur- 

 pose. Tho departure from Washington took 

 place at 6-30 A. M. The route was over the 

 Baltimore and Potomac Railroad to Baltimore ; 

 thence, passing the outskirts of the city, it- 

 entered upon the Philadelphia, Wilmington 

 and Baltimore Railroad ; passing over the Junc- 

 tion Railroad from Gray's Ferry to West Phila- 

 delphia, and thence to Mantua, it proceeded by 

 the New York division of the Pennsylvania 

 road to Princeton Junction, thence to Mon- 

 mouth Junction, entering upon the Amboy 

 division, and reaching the Long Branch divis- 

 ion of the Central Railroad of New Jersey at 

 Sea Girt. The rate of speed was at times as 

 high as sixty miles an hour ; few stops were 

 made, and Long Branch was reached at one 

 o'clock 3,500 feet of railroad-track having 

 been laid specially to convey the train from the 

 regular station to the immediate vicinity of the 

 Francklyn cottage, at Elberon. The following 

 is the medical bulletin issued the same even- 

 ing: 



6.30 p. M. Since tho last bulletin was issued, the 

 President has been removed from Washington to 

 Long Branch. He was more restless than usual last 

 night, being evidently somewhat excited by anticipa- 

 tions of the journey. This morning, at 5.30 o'clock, 

 his pulse was 118 ; temperature, 99'8 ; respiration. 

 18. We left Washington with the President at 6.30 

 A. M. Owing to the admirable arrangements made 

 by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and to the 



