Baxter 's duties included serving as personal physician to the President of the United States . He attended James A. Garfield 's family , but was out of town when Charles J. Guiteau shot Garfield in July 1881 . As a result , Baxter did not examine Garfield following the shooting or treat him during his subsequent illness . By the time he rushed back to Washington , Doctor Willard Bliss had taken charge and would not let Baxter see the wounded President . According to contemporary accounts , Bliss stated that Baxter was attempting to see Garfield out of a desire for personal glory and fame , a charge which had the effect of causing Baxter to minimize his involvement so that Bliss would not seem to be correct . In fact Bliss had only recently been readmitted to the District of Columbia Medical Society , which had expelled him in 1870 over his advocacy for African American doctors to be admitted . In addition , he had been expelled over willingness to consult with homeopaths at a time when most medical professionals were allopaths and disdained homeopathy . Having been readmitted to the Society so recently , Bliss likely maintained his lead role in Garfield 's treatment as a way to restore his own reputation
shot Garfield
Assassination of James A. Garfield
Jedediah Hyde Baxter