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Echoes and News [excerpt]
Operation was Necessary.—A distinguished
specialist in abdominal troubles in London, speaking about President
McKinley’s case, said the best surgeons in Europe were unanimous
in asserting that the operation was the right and the best thing
that could have been done, and that the President would have died
in forty-eight hours had it not been performed.
Foreign Comments.—The British Medical
Journal, discussing the results of the autopsy says it is needless
to assign any influence to the escape of pancreatic secretions or
to a poisoned bullet, because the mechanical conditions “amply account
for all disturbances found.” The journal testifies to the high rank
of American surgery and says: “Success in such a case would have
been a triumph, and defeat is not disgrace.”
[omit]
No Dissension.—That certain of the
daily papers should have persistently exhibited a disposition to
disturb the harmony among the surgeons and physicians connected
with Mr. McKinley’s case, cannot be regarded otherwise than unfortunate
by any who hold in proper respect the dignity and good name of the
profession. It is particularly regrettable that any medical man
should have lent his name to such efforts. Under the circumstances
we are not surprised that the following statement has appeared:
“We desire to say to the press and
the public, once for all, that every such publication and alleged
interview with any of us containing criticism of one another or
of any of our associates, is false and is nothing but scandal mongering.
We say again that there was never a serious disagreement among the
professional attendants as to any of the symptoms or as to treatment
of the case or as to the bulletins which were issued. A very unusual
harmony of opinion and of action prevailed all through the case.
“The unfortunate result could not
have been foreseen before the unfavorable symptoms declared themselves
late on the sixth day, and could not have been prevented by any
human agency.
“Pending the completion and publication
of the official reports of the postmortem examiners and of the attending
staff, we shall refuse to make any further statements for publication,
and alleged interviews with any of us may be known to be fictitious.
“M D. M,
R P,
“H M, E
W,
“C G. S.”
Obituary.—Dr. William McKinley, a
well-known practising physician and a distant relative of the late
President McKinley, was found dead at his home, at Polk, Pa. On
Saturday Dr. McKinley was in Franklin, and with much emotion discussed
the shooting and death of the late President with friends. He was
of a highly nervous disposition and at different times during these
discussions he became greatly excited over the assassination. In
the evening he returned to Polk and a few hours after his arrival
there his dead body was found by a member of the family lying on
the ground in the rear of his residence. The phy- [473][474]
sicians who were summoned said that death was due to apoplexy, brought
on by the excitement of the day. Dr. McKinley had an acquaintance
with President McKinley, and was one of his warmest admirers. He
was a graduate of the Baltimore Medical College and forty-four years
of age.
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