(308 pages)
Book club selection per Nicole.
An era of US history I don't know much about. Garfield was elected in 1880 and assassinated shortly thereafter. The author focuses on four people -
1. James Garfield - author presents him as a great guy; not running for president (or at least effectively demure about it) but becomes nominee after an impasse. Great orator, family guy, has a farm in Ohio, ancestors carved out life on the farm. Civil War veteran with success despite no experience.
2. The assassin - Guiteau or somesuch name - pretty much mentally ill, not very interesting. Minimal or zero security for US presidents at this era.
3. Alexander Graham Bell - had achieved great success with the telephone, now thought to apply related principles to create a device to locate the bullet embedded in Garfield. Probably on a useful track but this was difficult to pull off. I was interested in the descriptions of Bell's creative process - in a way it reminded me of Mandelstam's (per the book immediately prior). Inventive outbursts, keep going while the flame is burning!
4. Lister (of antiseptic medicine fame) and Bliss (Garfield's doctor) - avatars for the then state-of-the-art medical practices. US doctors generally uninterested in Lister's ideas at this phase. Bliss poking his fingers into the wound - guess what, lots of infection! Not that long ago.
Medical treatment in DC in the summertime - intense heat - a group try to create a sort of air-conditioning system. Includes John Wesley Powell.
Insanity defense in the assassin's trial. England's McNaughton rule.
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