Expert to Say if President Must Go Under the Knife

Title

Expert to Say if President Must Go Under the Knife

Creator

New York Evening Telegram

Identifier

WWP15994

Date

1919 October 17

Source

Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia

Language

English

Text

Prostatic Disorder Recurs and Grayson Summons Dr. Hugh Young, of Baltimore—Patient Has Comfortable Night.
______________

WASHINGTON, Friday.—Dr. Hugh Young, of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, has been summoned to Washington, where he is expected today, to make an examination of President Wilson to determine whether an operation is necessary to relieve Mr. Wilson of the swelling of the prostate gland, which is admitted to be retarding his full recovery.

Dr. Young is one of the foremost specialists in the United States in the treatment of prostatic troubles. The fact hat he had been called in to join the staff of attending physicians surrounding the President was made known by Rear Admiral Cary T. Grayson, the President’s personal physician, at the time he issued the early bulletin today. The bulletin announced that while the President was feeling well and had passed a comfortable night, the prostatic condition was not as satisfactory as yesterday and was checking the general improvement of the last two weeks.

During the morning the President was treated for the prostatic disorder by Dr. Fowler, a Washington specialist who was called in when the President first suffered this complication several days ago.Dr. Grayson said the swelling of the prostate gland, from which the President had been free all day yesterday and the night before, returned in the early hours this morning and caused some irritation.

While the trouble might be only minor in character, Dr. Grayson said, there was no doubt that it had retarded somewhat the progress the President had been making toward recovery.

Irritation accompanying the swelling of the prostate gland, he explained, was calculated to affect adversely the nervous condition of the patient.

Passed Comfortable Night.

The official bulletin issued during the noon hour read as follows:—

“12:45 P.M. WHITE HOUSE,

“October 17, 1919.

“The President passed a comfortable night and is feeling well this morning. His temperature, pulse, and respiration rates are normal. The prostatic condition is not as satisfactory as yesterday and is checking general improvement of the past two weeks.

“GRAYSON,
“RUFFIN,
“STITT.”

White House officials said that the President continued to show improvement today and appeared to be much cheered by the defeat of the Shantung amendment to the peace treaty. The result of the Senate vote was communicated to the President immediately after it was announced late yesterday.

It was said unofficially at the White House that the President was prepared for the reception of the Shantung vote by being told by a nurse that a vote was near. This seeming not to excite Mr. Wilson unduly, Dr. Grayson and Mrs. Wilson agreed that it would not do any harm to tell him of the outcome of the ballot.

Learns Shantung Vote.

Those who are following the brief daily bulletins, seeking for some light on Mr. Wilson’s condition, are anxiously awaiting the fate of the prohibition enforcement bill to see whether the President has improved sufficiently to be allowed to sign or veto it. No intimation has as yet been given as to what he will do.

What action the President will be allowed to take on the measure now before him, the first important act of legislation that has been submitted to him since he became ill, will depend it is said in some quarters, on Dr. Grayson’s opinion whether it is advisable to permit the President to exercise the functions of his executive office.

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Citation

New York Evening Telegram, “Expert to Say if President Must Go Under the Knife,” 1919 October 17, WWP15994, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.