The Accidental Killing of George Washington ?
Life Mask of George Washington made 14 years before his death in 1799
Note: This blog describes the agonizing death of George Washington. This is an updated post from a couple years ago. Since then and I've discovered new and interesting information as well as several new pictures I thought you might enjoy. My next blog will contain interesting details of his funeral.
George Washington was a large and powerful man. He stood 6 feet 3 inches tall and in later life weighed more than 200 pounds. He wore large shoes (size 13), and stood with an erect military bearing. His face was long with high cheekbones, and he had a large, straight nose, a firm chin, and blue eyes beneath heavy brows.
The Ordeal Begins
Wednesday, Dec. 11, 1799 - Washington noted in his diary that “at night a large circle was a round the moon.” This was a prediction of approaching snow. Washington then retired for the evening in as good a state of health as he had ever known. Little did he realize that the prediction would come true and this event would translate into his death three days later.
10 a.m. - Thursday, Dec. 12, 1799 - Washington rode out to inspect his farm. He returned to bed exhausted. Dr. Craik arrived from Alexandra at 11 a.m. He had been Washington’s personal physician for more than 40 years. The two men were together during the French and Indian War and the entire American Revolution.
1 p.m. - A heavy snow began to fall. A harsh northeast wind broke open, and for two hours it rained, snowed and hailed.
3 p.m. - 67-year-old Washington returned to Mount Vernon,, soaked to the bone. His hair, neck and shoulders were covered with snow. To make matters worse, he refused to change his clothes. During the night, three more inches of snow fell. It was a heavy, wet snow that clung to the ground. It snowed so much Washington omitted his usual ride around Mount Vernon. He also began complaining about a sore throat.
Noon - Friday, Dec. 13, The sun broke out and Washington decided, sore throat or not, he was going to work outside. He spent most of the afternoon walking through the wet snow, standing in the freezing weather, marking trees he wanted cut down. He finished his afternoon work and returned home for supper. He ate a hearty meal and noticed that his throat was getting worse, but regarded it as nothing unusual.
7 p.m. - following supper, Mr. and Mrs. Washington, along with Tobias Lear, Washington's personal secretary, were sitting in the parlor reading the newspapers that had arrived in the afternoon mail.
Martha Washington Col. Tobias Lear
1731 - 1802 1762 - 1867
9 p.m. - Mrs. Washington left the parlor, but Washington and Lear continued reading. Time passed and eventually Washington made another reference about his sore throat and that it was really beginning to bother him. Lear suggested a home remedy treatment be made ready, but Washington brushed it off saying, “No, you know I never take anything for a cold. Let it go as it came.”
Between 2 and 3 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 - Washington woke Martha. He tried to explain to her he was ill, but he could hardly speak. He had a fever and his breathing was labored. Mrs. Washington suggested she summon Lear for help, but Washington, fearing she would also catch the cold, forbade her to leave the bed. Martha had only recently recovered from a cold herself.
7 a.m. - just after daybreak, Caroline, the chambermaid, entered the Washington’s’ bedroom to make a fire. Martha told Caroline to go and get Lear at once. Lear dressed quickly and went to Washington, now breathing with great difficulty and almost unable to talk. Lear was at a loss for what to do. The nearest physician was miles away and Washington required immediate treatment. Finally, Washington struggled to speak and told Lear to send word to Washington’s Union Farm and get Albin Rawlins to come and bleed him. Rawlins, one of Washington’s farm overseers, was learned in the practice of veterinary work and blood letting.
SIDE NOTE: Blood letting was the withdrawal of blood from a patient to prevent or cure illness and disease. Bloodletting, whether by a physician or by leeches was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and other bodily fluids were regarded as “humours" that had to remain in proper balance to maintain health. It is claimed to have been the most common medical practice performed by surgeons from antiquity until the late 19th century, a span of over 2,000 years.
Fleam
A Blood Letting Instrument
For hundreds of years barbers offered a range of services in addition to haircuts and shaves. They included bloodletting, cupping, tooth extractions, lancing and even amputations.
The modern striped barber’s pole harkens back to the bloodstained towels that would hang outside the offices of these “barber-surgeons.”
Albin Rawlins arrived and went immediately to Washington’s room. Rawlins was very nervous at being asked to bleed Washington, but the ex-president looked at Rawlins with a kind expression and whispered, “Don’t be afraid.” Rawlins proceeded to make an incision in Washington’s upper arm. Mrs. Washington had grave doubt about the effectiveness of this treatment and bedded Rawlins not to take too much blood. Washington, however, was adamant that as much blood as needed be taken and instructed Lear to tie a tourniquet around his arm to help the flow of blood. In the first bleeding 12 – 14 oz. of blood was taken.
Following the procedure, Col. Lear gave the patient a tonic of molasses, butter and vinegar, which nearly choked Washington to death, so inflamed were the beefy-red tissues of his infected throat.
After the first bleeding, Lear tried to bathe Washington’s throat externally with a remedy called sal volatile. He soaked a piece of flannel in the solution and wrapped it around Washington’s neck. Then he bathed Washington’s feet in warm water. Nothing helped.
At the same time, Lear dispatched a servant with a note to Dr. James Craik of Alexandria. Dr. Craik was nine miles away; the note implored the physician to come as soon as possible. At this time, the first home remedy was tried on Washington. A mixture of molasses, vinegar and butter was concocted as a tonic to soothe the raw throat. Washington attempted to swallow it; he almost suffocated.
Dr. James Craik
1727 - 1814
8 a.m. - Washington got out of bed, dressed, and was helped to a chair by the fire in the hope that some movement and activity might help. Washington received no relief and between 8 and 9 a.m., a greatly alarmed Martha sent Cyrus, a house servant, for Dr. Gustavus Brown of Port Tobacco. Dr. Craik had told Martha in the past to call Dr. Brown in an emergency.
Dr. Gustavus Brown
1747 - 1804
9:30 a.m. - another bloodletting of 18 ounces was performed followed by a similar withdrawal at 11 a.m. At noon, an enema was administered. Attempts at gargling with a sage tea, laced with vinegar were unsuccessful but Washington was still strong enough to walk about his bedroom for a bit and to sit upright in an easy chair for a few hours. His real challenge was breathing once he returned to lying flat on his back in bed. 11 a.m. - Dr. Craik arrived from Alexandra. He had been Washington’s personal physician for more than 40 years. The two men were together during the French and Indian War and the entire American Revolution. Dr. Craik bled Washington a second time and made a blister of powdered cantharides to put on his throat. The doctor also prepared a gargle of vinegar and sage tea, as well as a steaming mixture of vinegar and hot water for him to inhale. The gargle almost suffocated Washington, and although a little phlegm came up, the treatments were failures.
Alarmed by Washington’s failure to respond to treatment, Dr. Craik sent word for Dr. Elisha Cullen Dick to come to Mount Vernon as a consultant. Dr. Dick was also a prominent physician as well as the Worshipful Mater of Alexandria Lodge #22 Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of which Washington was a member.
Dr. Elisha Cullen Dick
1750 - 1825
After taking the medical history, he applied a painful “blister of cantharides,” better known as “Spanish fly,” to Washington’s throat. The idea behind this tortuous treatment was based on a humoral notion of medicine dating back to antiquity called “counter-irritation.” The blisters raised by this toxic stuff would supposedly draw out the deadly humors causing the General’s throat inflammation.
3 and 3:30 p.m. - Dr. Craik ordered another bleeding. This time, 32 ounces were removed even though Elisha Cullen Dick, the second physician to arrive at Mount Vernon, objected to such a heroic measure.
Dr. Dick arrived and Washington was bled for a third time. This time the bleeding was slow, thick and sluggish, yet produced more than 30 ounces of blood, but to no avail. Now Washington could swallow nothing.
4 p.m. - Gustavus Richard Brown, arrived the mansion. He, Dr. Craik and Dr. Dick concluded Washington was suffering from “quinsy” (the old name for a severe case of tonsillitis). Dr. Dick made a radical suggestion that a tracheotomy be performed, but the other two physicians vetoed this lifesaving procedure. Brown then suggested a dose of calomel (mercurous chloride) and a tartar emetic (antimony potassium tartrate), guaranteed to make the former president vomit with a vengeance.
4:30 p.m. - Washington called for Martha to come to his bedside. He instructed his wife to get two wills. When she returned with the documents, Washington gave her one copy, which he said was useless, and instructed her to burn it. The other will he told her to use after his death. Martha placed he will in her closet for safekeeping
5 p.m. - After the fourth bloodletting, 16 ounces were removed Washington appeared to rally somewhat. Washington was simply helpless. The physicians were doing everything they could, but nothing was working. Soon enough, he was again struggling for air. He told Dr. Craik: “Doctor, I die hard; but I am not afraid to go; I believed from my first attack that I should not survive it; my breath can not last long.” Ever the gentleman, even in extremis, the General made a point of thanking all three doctors for their help.
5:30 p.m.- .He got up for half an hour. Dr. Dick and Dr. Brown came into the room as Lear was helping him up. Washington looked at the men and said, “I feel myself going. I thank you for your attention, but I pray you take no more trouble about me. Let me go off quickly. I cannot last long.”
8 p.m.- blisters of cantharides were applied to his feet, arms and legs while wheat poultices were placed upon his throat with little improvement.
10 p.m. - Washington mustered all his strength and gave Lear one final set of instructions: “I am just going. Have me decently buried; and do not let my body be put into the vault in less than three days after I am dead.” Lear stood speechless. “Do you understand?” Washington demanded. Lear responded he would do as Washington asked. Then Washington, seemingly content, said, “Tis well.” Those were the great man’s last words.
A fourth physician, William Thornton (who also designed the U.S. Capitol building), was summoned but arrived after Washington succumbed.
Dr. William Thornton
1759 - 1828
Thornton had expertise in the tracheotomy procedure, an extremely rare operation at the time that was performed only in emergencies and with occasional success. Dr. Dick, too, advocated this procedure — rather than the massive bloodletting — but given the primitive nature of surgical science in 1799, it is doubtful it would have helped much. When the doctors vetoed the tracheotomy, Washington’s fate had been sealed.
10:20 p.m. - Col. Lears’ notes record, the former president settled back in his bed and calmly took his pulse. At the very end, Washington’s fingers dropped off his wrist and the first president of our great Republic took his final breath.
Martha looked at Lear and asked, “Is he gone?” Unable to speak, Lear signed yes with his hands. Martha looked at her dead husband and said, “Tis well,” echoing her husband’s final words. “Tis well,” Martha said once more. “All is over now: I shall soon follow him. I have no more trials to pass through.”
At the bedside were Martha Washington, his doctor, James Craik, Tobias Lear, his valet, Christopher Sheels, and three slave housemaids named Caroline, Molly and Charlotte. Steele stayed at Washington's bedside throughout the whole ordeal.
Bedroom where George Washington Died
Midnight Dec. 15, 1799 - Several servants gently carried Washington’s body downstairs and laid it on a bed in the large drawing room. The body was covered and placed in front of the large Italian chimney piece which served as the room’s focal point. Washington’s body was not embalmed; instead, by putting the body in the unheated drawing room in December, he body would be thoroughly preserved for the funeral by freezing it.
Earlier that year (1799), Washington executed his last will and testament. With the help of his private secretary and distant relative, Tobias Lear, Washington wrote the will in longhand and signed his name at the bottom of every page. Specific in the will were instructions for his funeral. Washington expressed that his interment be “in a private manner without parade or funeral oration.” This wish was completely ignored big time.
George Washington died at 10:20 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14, 1799. He had lived 67 years and 295 days.
So What Did George Washington Actually Die From?
According to one internet source: "The human body holds 12 pints of blood. You can lose up to about 5 pints without dying. You may go into shock, but once you've lost 6 pints, your gonna die. They bled nearly 80 ounces (5 pints) of Blood from Washington in a one day period. Considering his age, the fact he may have been suffering from strep throat, plus the fact that nearly half his blood had been removed in such a short period of time, seems death was inevitable.
