James Garfield Mortal Wound

James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, was assassinated in 1881 by gunman Charles J. Guiteau firing into his abdomen. He also suffered a grazing bullet wound to his arm.

President James Garfield (photo courtesy Wikipedia)

What is not generally recognized is that Garfield lived for eleven weeks after being shot. The mortal injury occurred when a bullet partially transsected the splenic artery, eventually resulting in the days before antibiotics in an infected pseudoaneurysm that ruptured and caused exsanguination and a likely myocardial infarction.

In James A. Garfield’s case, a likely case of probable abdominal sepsis from the bullet was no doubt furthered by the un therapeutic practice of the day that stressed digital probing (with non-sterile hands) of the bullet track to ascertain its path through the body.

In modern trauma care, Garfield’s wound has an excellent chance at treatment and full-recovery.