Papers (1835, 1881-1885, 1938) of a prominent Washington, DC physician and surgeon, who treated President James A. Garfield after he was shot, 1881, consisting of correspondence, a scrapbook, a medical report, Baptist convention proceedings, religion, Christianity.
Doctor Willard Bliss (1825-1889) was an American Civil War surgeon who became embroiled in controversy after treating President James A. Garfield's assassination wounds in 1881. Doctor was both his given birth name as well as his profession.
Bliss served in the Civil War but gained more notoriety for his role in Garfield's case. Despite lacking expertise in gunshot injuries, he took charge of the President's care. His treatment, which included repeated probing of the wound with unsterilized instruments, is believed to have contributed to Garfield's death by sepsis.
Bliss's career was marked by other challenges. He was expelled from the D.C. Medical Society for his support of homeopathy and opposition to racial segregation within the organization. His reputation never recovered from the Garfield case, and he died a few years later.
Content written March 2024
Correspondence consists of a letter from Mrs. Bliss to her brother detailing the doctor's efforts in treating the President's wounds.
A scrapbook of newspaper clippings deals with Garfield's day to day progress, the various diagnoses offered by Bliss and his staff, steps taken to treat the wounds, and criticisms of the physicians' handling of the case.
An 1888 report compiled by the attending surgeons defends the selection of Bliss as chief physician, supports the steps he took to save the President's life, and asks for additional compensation for services rendered.
Other materials are of a religious nature, dealing mainly with missionary activities. Of particular interest are the proceedings of the 1835 Baptist general convention held in Richmond, Virginia, which contain various reports submitted to the assembly describing missionary work among the Indigenous Nations east and west of the Mississippi, and in France and Germany, Africa, Burma, Siam, and China. A Commission on Africa report calls for an end to the forceful removal of humans for enslavement, trade and for penetration of the continent by missionaries. Reports from Asia reflect opposition by native authorities to the spread of Christianity.
Missionary literature dated 1936 outlines the history of missionary activity in Tengchow, China, 1861-1936. A 1938 pamphlet contains an itemized list of expenses for mission work in Japan.
Miscellaneous items include a printed religious tract on the dangers to Christianity of the "Higher Criticism," and an abstract citing scriptural passages in support of the Baptist "Confession of Faith."
Loaned by Reverend E. Gordon Conklin
Processed by M. Mitchell, June 1977
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Descriptions updated by Ashlyn Racine, May 2023
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.