In the weeks after President Garfield was shot in 1881, his doctors continued to probe the wound and the infection spread through his body. Bliss reported pus-filled sacs on his back and arms, which were signs of systemic infection. On August 8 the surgeon Agnew operated to drain pus near the bullet's entry, but the infection kept growing. Within two weeks a large abscess formed on his right parotid gland, paralysing one side of his face, and when it burst he nearly choked. The infection also threatened caregivers: Bliss cut his own finger while dressing the wound and his hand swelled badly. Garfield vomited constantly and lost interest in eating, so Bliss tried rectal feeding with beef broth, milk, egg yolk and opium. He went from 210 pounds at the shooting to 130 pounds by the end.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.