The death of President James A. Garfield from an assassin’s bullet, if it were not so tragic, could be construed as almost comical given the care it received from incompetent doctors. They were as guilty of the man’s death as of the bullet placed in his back. Alexander Graham Bellus, with dirty fingers stuck in his wound, tries to locate his bullet with a “metal detector”, The whole process is done sadly it is in our national chapter, as well as in our medical history.
James Garfield was elected president in 1880 and took office in March 1881. A very famous man, who could write in both Greek and Latin at the same time, accepted the civil worship and gentler treatment of the South after the Civil War. While walking through Sixth Station on the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad on July 2, 1881, she was shot in the back by the insane Charles Guiteau. Guiteau was arrested and abducted by Garfield on his back. Medics were immediately brought to the aid of the wounded governor.
The first on the scene was a famous Washington D.C. doctor. D.W. Bliss He began his treatment by handing Garfield hot water bottles feet and morphine boots. Garfield promptly threw it away. Nine hours after he woke up, Bliss gave Garfield a glass of champagne as they removed the bloody suit. Vomiting every half hour now, Garfield was visited by Navy Surgeon General Cambria. This doctor stuck his finger in the wound and concluded that Garfield’s liver had been hit. Several teachers were called; fifteen All the fingers stuck in the governor’s wound. No one even thought to clean their hands. For many doctors of this age did not bother to clean the blood from their clothes as they worked.
The theory of seeds and antiseptic methods were not at all accepted at this time. In fact, Joseph Lister, who was a supporter of sterile conditions for the prohibition of germs, was widely ridiculed. Most doctors thought that pus was a vital sign of healing, not a sign of infection as we know it today. There were two kinds of thinking among most of the teachers of this time. One group was prone to invasive, drastic infection-causing surgery; the other would try various herbs and poisons diluted with water to heal the sick. These factions now contended that Garfield should be dealt with. The president’s personal physician, Dr. Baxter, in a fight with Dr. Biss retained the fact that Garfield was managing. Beatitude won and Baxter left, never to see the president again. All the time in question, Garfield remained president, not relinquishing executive powers until his death.
When they couldn’t find the bullet with their fingers, doctors turned to technology. Alexander Graham Bell came up with an electrical device that could best be described as the first metal detector, two electromagnets between a telephone receiver. But Garfield’s bed was in the metal sheets causing false readings and the notes did not find the bullet. Even if the war had ended successfully, there is no doubt that the projectile could have been removed.
summer heat didn’t help Garfield’s situation. All sorts of ideas have been tried in an attempt to keep cool. I didn’t work for anything. Losing eighty pounds in the six weeks since he was shot, Garfield, who was on a diet of steak, eggs and brandy, was already nutritionally An enema of egg, bouillon, milk, whiskey and opium is given. Needless to say, this had no effect, and the medical team decided to transfer the bullet. Unable to find it, they directed the tubes into the hair follicles from the president’s body. In late August, Garfield’s right sixth was swollen from an infection and facial incisions were made to help drain it. Remaining in this state, ignorant of the circumstances, until he ordered himself to be transferred to Nova Caesarea, in order to escape the summer. There was little relief from the heat, and James A. Garfield finally died on September 19, 1881, in Elberon, New Jersey. He had contracted blood poisoning and pneumonia, and probably died of an aneurysm or massive heart failure eighty days later. had been thrown
Historians generally agree that Garfield received better care than would likely have survived. The infection is probably the result of unsterile fingers touching and oozing the wound; one doctor had punctured his liver. Doctors were still demanding their fees when Congress passed the bill. Charles Guiteau, who today is diagnosed as schizophrenic, argued that the poor treatment at the hands of doctors killed Garfield. Although acquitted, he was convicted of murder and hanged on June 30, 1882 in Washington.
